Rejected
by Lord Archive
Summary: What if Nodoka had learned of Ranma's curse during the first visit? It is not a happy ending for the Saotome clan. This is darker than any canon Ranma 1/2 story. If you want Takahashi styled humor, you will not find it here.
1. Ultimate Rejection

**Rejected**

**Part 1 - Sunday - Ultimate Rejection**

_By Lord Archive_

This story is an alternate take on Nodoka's first arrival.

Rated M for Mature audiences for death, language and sexual situations. Do not read this if you are under eighteen years of age.

This is darker than any canon Ranma 1/2 story. If you want Takahashi styled humor, you will not find it here.

This is a complete ten-part series and will be posted in full.

Ranma 1/2 characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi and Shogakukan and are used without permission.

* * *

I'm returning home from staying at my friend's house last night. Imagine the nerve of my friends suggesting I'm making Ranma out to be worse than he is. That I should be glad to be engaged to 'such a handsome, martial artist.' The idiot is probably with one of his other fiancees right now.

As I walk into my home, sighing, I call out, "I'm home." Suddenly Kasumi runs out and hugs me, crying to the point of wailing like Daddy. "What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry, Akane. Ranma's mother is here and..." Kasumi starts. Why is she sorry about that? "...she has an agreement with Ranma and Uncle Saotome that if..." Kasumi chokes back a sob. What agreement would get Kasumi this upset? If Ranma has another fiancee, I'll kill him! "...Ranma isn't a man amongst men he'll commit s-seppuku." Ritual suicide?! I literally feel my blood drain from my face. "His mother found out about the curse and she-she's going to..." Going to?! They haven't done it yet! There is still time!

"Kasumi, where are they?"

"In the dojo, preparing. I'm sor..." I don't hear anything more since I'm out of earshot range. I'm running to the dojo as if my life depends on it. Oddly, I feel it does.

I enter the dojo and see Ranma and Genma kneeling on the floor in their curse forms. Ranma slowly looks up at me, his face showing how hurt and vulnerable he is right now. I want to break down and cry at the sight.

NO! Look at that copper haired woman with the katana. She's supposed to be his mother, and yet she's going to kill him! Take him away from me! No! I will not let her do this!

"STOP THIS!" I snarl angrily.

The lady looks at me sadly. "I'm sorry that your family had to put up with this." Her hand waves over Ranma and Genma.

'This?!' She didn't even refer to them as even being people, but 'this?!' "You can't make them commit seppuku!" I yell.

"You have no right to interfere in this. This is a family matter," the woman insists.

"'No right?!' He's my fiance, and you tell me I have 'no right to interfere?'" Even being angry as hell at his mother, I see Ranma blink when I said 'fiance.'

The woman shakes her head. "You must be Akane. I'm sorry that my husband tried to force Ranma on you. No girl should ever be forced to marry..."

I scream internally in outrage that she is actually trying to think of a word to call Ranma.

Mrs. Saotome then said, "Anyway, I cannot allow this stain on the Saotome family line to continue. I cannot allow this failure of Ranma not being a man amongst men to continue."

"What?! He IS a man amongst men. Sure he may not look like it at the moment, but he is a man. A bit TOO much of a man if you ask me. Does it matter he occasionally has a chest bigger than mine? It's his spirit that's important, not the body."

Mrs. Saotome levels her gaze at me. "Being a man is both body and spirit. If the body isn't a man's body, then how can the spirit be?"

"Because it is! The body doesn't, and shouldn't, matter. It's actions that matter. How he acts is what's important."

"You're going to tell me you do not object to being forced to marry Ranma?" the woman asks seriously.

"I did. Not because of his curse, but because I don't like being forced into anything. I only used his curse as an excuse. It doesn't matter to me that he's sometimes a she."

"Well, now you no longer have to worry about being forced to marry him. The agreement for a Saotome to marry a Tendo cannot be held as there will no longer be a Saotome to marry." Her words are now said in a tone that would take no objection.

"You want the Saotome line to end? Fine!" I see Ranma blanch from this. I turn to see Nabiki and Daddy at the door of the dojo. Daddy is crying. "Daddy, call a minister. If she doesn't want him as a Saotome, then I'll make him a Tendo!" I don't know where the idea came from, but I'm sticking to it.

Daddy starts crying even harder. Nabiki, however, says, "I'll get one." She runs off. I thought she might have asked if I really want to do this. I guess she already knows the answer, even if I didn't until now.

The woman's constant frown deepened. "I cannot allow you to do that. Ranma is not fit to be your... spouse. Ranma was to be a man amongst men, failure of this means Ranma has to die."

I turn around and scowl at Mrs. Saotome. I also see out of the corner of my eye that Ranma is in a state of shock. "You see a curse which he detests as failure. That he was knocked into a magical spring by his idiotic father is reason to think he's failed. Failure does NOT have anything to do with the body magic has forced upon him. If you want to punish Uncle Saotome for his failure as a father, fine! But if you make Ranma kill himself to satisfy your belief that he's failed, then I ask you to be my second, because if Ranma dies, then so do I!"

Daddy must be crying buckets behind me.

Mrs. Saotome closes her eyes. "You would give your life up for this?"

"I would."

"You would take Ranma to be your spouse even with that body?" the woman presses.

"Does this answer your question?" I kneel in front of Ranma. With my hand I draw him closer to me, and I kiss him. Ask me before I walked home today and I would've said there was no way in hell I'd kiss Ranma, let alone when he's in a girl's body. Right now it seems... natural. This is Ranma, the man I'm going to marry. It doesn't matter to me that the lips belong to a girl's body, because the girl's body belongs to Ranma.

Ranma is finally getting out of his shock. He's tentatively kissing me back now. I add more passion to it. I let myself go for the moment, to let his mother know I don't give a damn what Ranma looks like. He is kissing me passionately back now. It's better than I thought it'd be.

I finally, reluctantly, disengage from Ranma. I smile a little at the look of shock on Mrs. Saotome's face. You'd think she's never seen two girls kissing. Maybe she hasn't and that is part of the problem.

"Mr. Tendo," Mrs. Saotome says, "Would you accept that into your family?"

I'm surprised to see Dad has stopped crying. He even looks angrily at Mrs. Saotome. "I would gladly accept Ranma into my family. He is a fine young man and one of the best martial artists to ever live. No family should be disgraced to have him as one of their members."

I see Mrs. Saotome close her eyes. I pray I got through to her. "The agreement is with Saotome Ranma. I cannot force Tendo Ranma to comply to the oath. One way or another, the Saotome clan ends at nightfall."

YES! We've got six hours to get married. I hope we can make it.

"Akane?" I hear from Ranma's shaking voice. "Thanks for trying to help."

"Trying? Ranma, you won't have to commit seppuku."

Ranma shakes his head weakly. "I can't ask you to marry me."

"In case you haven't noticed, you didn't ask." I'm not sure what I want him to say now, but I want him to say something.

"I'm not going to let you ruin your life for me." Ranma turns his head and looks at me.

I can see the look in his female form's eyes. Oh, gods! He looks like a wounded animal that WANTS to be dragged out and shot. "Ranma, I'm not going to ruin my life by marrying you. The only way my life is going to be ruined is if you die."

Ranma bows his head. "You can't mean that. My own mother rejects me. She can't even bear to look at me or even refer to me as a 'he.'"

I hug Ranma tightly. "I don't reject you. I accept you for who you are. If your mother can't look past your chest, that's her fault, not yours."

"But you've rejected me before," Ranma presses.

"Ranma, I've been scared, hurt, and angry. I don't like things being forced on me. I took it out on you, because you were being forced on me. I'm really, really sorry about that." I let go of Ranma and look into the face of the redhead. I see he's trying to stop himself from crying, but is failing miserably. "I want you to know: I will marry you because I want to. I am NOT just doing this to save you. I am doing this because I don't know what I'd do without you. You mean too much to me for me to lose you." I realize now that I'm crying too.

Ranma stops fighting the tears. "Akane, please. Mom's right. You shouldn't have to marry me. I want to be a full man for you. How can I be your husband when I look like this? I don't want our children being confused at which one of us to call mother. I-I... Please, Akane I must do this." Ranma looks down at the floor. I barely hear the tear soaked whisper of, "I love you too much to let you marry me."

I sit there looking at Ranma in shock. I didn't expect to hear him say that. I don't know why, I just didn't.

Finally, I lift his feminine chin and look into his eyes. "Ranma. I. Love. You." His eyes widen in shock, and I punctuate my words by kissing his female lips again. He returns the kiss after a second.

Ranma breaks the kiss. "Akane..." he says. I can see in his frightened beautiful eyes that he's trying to come up with a way to change my mind.

"Ranma, I don't know how to convince you. All I can ask is, please, for me, live. Because even if I don't commit suicide with you, I will die tonight with you. You are a part me, and I'd be lost without you. Ranma, if you really love me, then marry me and live."

"Oh, Akane... I..." Ranma looks at me with a ghost of that cocky grin I'm so familiar with. "For you... I-I'll marry you."

We start to kiss each other again. My mind begins to comprehend everything that has happened since I got home. I'm really going to marry Ranma today, and if I don't he dies. I wasn't sure if we'd ever marry, and now... now I can't think of anything I want more.

I'm still worried. We haven't saved Uncle Saotome. How are we going to save him? Where is Uncle Saotome anyway? He was here when this started.

I break off the kiss. "We better get ready. We don't have much time."

Ranma nodded. I hold onto him as we walk to the house.

I see P-Chan sitting by the dojo door. He looks rather hurt, but I don't see any physical injury. I try to push it out of my mind. No matter how hurt P-Chan is, Ranma needs me right now.

* * *

I fuss over the white dress I'm wearing. I don't like being away from Ranma right now. He still looks very hurt that his mother can't see him as the man he truly is.

I sigh, looking into the mirror. I'm wearing my white sun dress for a wedding dress. Beggars can't be choosers. We don't have time to get a real one.

I start to wonder what is scaring me more: getting married, or the idea of living without Ranma. I look at one of the few pictures of Ranma I have. The answer comes easily, living without Ranma scares me to death, while getting married is only scaring me shitless.

I hear Nabiki call from down stairs. She's returned with a minister. Minutes away from being Mrs. Tendo. I take a breath, trying to remain calm. I'm failing miserably, but I'm trying.

My hand shakes as I open the door. I exit my room, and see Ranma is exiting his room. "Ready?" I ask. I know it's a stupid question.

"Would you be upset if I said 'no?'" Ranma replies nervously.

"Not really."

We share a nervous smile. We both walk to the dojo together. That's where we'll be married in a minute.

We walk into the dojo. Ryoga is there. I don't know how he'll react to this. Sometimes I think he feels for me more than just being a friend. Ranma's reaction seems to back up this thought, he's gone into a battle stance.

"Ranma," Ryoga begins, sounding angry as a bull seeing red. He glances at me. "C-congratulations. You're a lucky man." Ryoga says sadly. He grabs and shakes Ranma's hand. Ranma looks completely confused. Ryoga then leans forward and whispers something to Ranma.

"I promise," Ranma replies to whatever Ryoga whispered to him about.

Ranma and I walk up to the minister. The minister's words become muddled to me. I'm responding as directed. My voice is probably cracking nervously. I can't control it. My life is going through a blender at the moment.

I look at Ranma. I see he's nervous as hell, too. He tries to give me a reassuring smile. I try to give him the same.

The ceremony is impossibly long and impossibly short at the same time. It ends, with me kissing my new husband. He is safe now, my husband, Tendo Ranma.

I turn to look at the others in the dojo. My family is crying. Well, I think I see a tear on Nabiki's face. Ryoga is also crying. Mrs. Saotome looks to be made of stone. I'm quickly learning to hate that woman. Genma is next to her, still a Panda, chained and crying. I don't know if he's crying about his son being married, or that he'll have to commit seppuku soon. Probably because of seppuku.

The minister bids Ranma and me good luck and leaves. At least that's what I think he said. I'm having a hard time understanding anything at the moment.

"Ranma," Mrs. Saotome began. "The Tendo family has accepted you. I hope you live up to the faith they put in you. I have one request for you."

"Anything," Ranma replies. I scowl slightly at him. She deserves nothing from him.

Mrs. Saotome holds a hand to her chest. "I want you to be my second."

"What?" I add to the chorus of voices.

"When I said, 'tonight the Saotome clan ends,' I meant it. This includes me. The failure of you being a man is partially my fault for letting Genma take you," the crazy woman explains.

"How many times do I have to tell you?! Ranma is a man! You don't have to do this. You don't have to kill Genma. Divorce him, do whatever, but don't kill him and yourself over something as pointless as this!" I scream at her.

"The point is family. We are bound by promise to have made Ranma a man amongst men. The curse is a breach of that. To redeem ourselves we must do this. I don't want to die. I'd like nothing better than see my grandchildren grow up," the woman intones.

"Then don't do it!"

"We do as we must. You did as you needed to save the person you love. I do the same for the love of my clan." Mrs. Saotome's eyes show the reluctance of her actions.

"But he is a man. Genma did not fail." I never thought I'd say that and mean it, but I did.

"That is a nice thought, but I do not see it as true." Her eyes somehow lose the reluctance.

Ranma put his hand on my shoulder. "I-I will do as you wish, Mom."

Mrs. Saotome gives him a strange look and then nods.

I look at Ranma. I see in his eyes that he doesn't want to do this, but who would? He's going to do it because his mother wants him to.

How and why this has to happen is beyond the scope of my reasoning. Ranma is about to lose his parents to something so pointless. I want to stop this, but I don't know how. I can see my family is also trying to think of a way out of this.

* * *

I'm sitting outside the dojo. I can't bear to witness to what is about to happen. Nothing anyone has said has changed the mind of Mrs. Saotome. As much as I disliked Uncle Saotome, I'm going to miss him.

I hear a sickening thud in the dojo, and I start crying. I know I just lost my father-in-law. Why does this have to happen? This is so pointless! Why?

I curl up into a ball, tears streaming down my face. There is a long agonizing silence now. I want it to end, but not in the way I know it will.

I hear another sickening thud, this time much smaller. My mother-in-law, too, has died for no reason. Why couldn't she see Ranma as a man, even if his body isn't always a man's body?

I force myself to stand up. I don't bother to wipe my tears, since they haven't stopped flowing. I wait for Ranma to exit. If he doesn't come out soon... I'll have to go in there.

After a moment, Ranma finally walks out of the dojo. He's pale as a ghost, his body shaking. I hug him with all my strength wanting him to hold on. I never want to let go of him in fear that if I do, he'll join his parents.

I can feel Ranma's tears soak my shirt. It hurts me knowing two people died for no reason. I can't even begin to know how he feels. Losing my mother was hard on me. But Ranma... Ranma lost his parents because his mother rejected him. She couldn't see Ranma as a man, and had him help her kill herself. How that woman has hurt her son in such an unbelievable means is unforgivable. I hope she rots in hell.

He, no doubt, is thinking of what he could've done that would've saved his parents. I remember I did when Mom died, and I was a little girl then. He's going to take this REALLY hard. I know this, but it seems unavoidable. His parents died, and all because his mother was too blind to see the person that's inside the body.

* * *

I smile my thanks to Kasumi for watching Ranma before I return to the fish pond and sit next to him. Ranma must have splashed himself while I was gone, because he is now a she.

I hated having to leave him to go the bathroom, but I couldn't hold it much longer. I spent the past couple hours just being there for him. I couldn't think of anything that would comfort him.

I wrap my arm around his female form. I don't know if he notices, he's seems intent on watching his reflection.

"I am not a man," Ranma mutters.

"You are too a man. I tried to convince your mother that. She was too blind to see past the body, and into the spirit of the man I love." Love, a foreign word to my lips. It shouldn't be, but it is. I will repeat it to Ranma a lot in the coming days to make it clear, even if his mother can't accept him, I can.

Ranma looks at me with such sad eyes, but says angrily, "Do I look like a man to you?" He grabs one of his breasts for emphasis.

"Yes, because I know you. Manliness does not come from how you look. It's how you act. You are man in spirit. Even if you get stuck as a girl, you are still a man."

"How can you bear to have a spouse like me?" Ranma asks weakly.

"Tendo Ranma!" I start angrily. "Get it through your thick skull. You are a man and my husband. Your body does not matter. The body is just a covering for the spirit. I don't care anymore if you get a cure for the curse. It is you I love."

"Akane, I..." Ranma's words seem to fail him.

I kiss him. Kissing seems to work where words fail. "Ranma, it's getting late. We should go to bed."

Ranma nods, and we go upstairs after a quick stop for hot water. Dad and Ryoga have moved my stuff into Ranma's room, since it is larger and Ranma wants to stay in his room. Ranma appears to be surprised when we enter our room. "What's your stuff doing in here?" he asks.

"What do you mean?"

I see the gears ever so slowly turn in his head. "I, ah, well..."

"Why shouldn't my stuff be in our room?" I try to hold back my anger. He really doesn't need to see it right now.

"'Our room?'" he repeats.

"What? You think after we got married, we'd sleep in separate rooms? What did you think when Dad asked you which room you wanted to have?"

Ranma starts to study the floor. "I-I wasn't thinking about that."

I sigh. Of course, Ranma wouldn't be thinking about that considering what was happening with his parents. "I understand. Let's get some sleep."

I could see Ranma is very uncomfortable. Too much has happened today. I doubt Ranma will consummate our marriage tonight. I won't push it. It might push him away if I try. I'm not sure if I even want to try.

I change into my pajamas, minus a bra. I know he's in the room and staring at me. I'm not going to hide anything from him. Hiding anything now would be a form of pushing him away and I will not do it.

While Ranma looks ready to bolt, he slips into bed anyway. I give him a smile to help lessen his fears. I crawl into bed with him. It's a snug fit considering it's the bed from my old room.

I would be sacred as hell if it wasn't for the fact Ranma needs me to be with him. Besides, Ranma looks scared enough for the both of us.

I look into his eyes, and say, "You are the man I love."

"I-I love you, too," he returns.

This is the second time I've heard it, knowing he means it, and I still have trouble believing it. I kiss him passionately as a response.

Ranma returns the kiss with even more passion. I feel like he's trying to grab hold of me like I'm a life line. Like I'm all that holds him between life and death. I guess, I am just that.

Suddenly Ranma actions seem to come like that of another person. He rips open my pajama top and starts fondling my breasts. It wouldn't be bad if he wasn't doing it so hard. This didn't last even a minute. He breaks our kiss and moves down my body. He surprises me. I thought he was going to do more with my chest or something, but he's taking off my pants and panties.

I could stop this. I know I could, but I won't. I'd be rejecting him.

Ranma is now removing his boxers. I haven't been able to see his face since we started. I want to see it. I'm not sure why, but I want to.

Ranma is now positioning himself between my legs. This is my last chance to stop it, but I can't. Even the fact that I'm... not ready enough isn't going to make me stop him. Even delaying him now may be what it takes to chase him away.

My head flies back when I feel him enter me. The pain I feel is not because he tore my hymen. I did that a long time ago during martial arts practice. The pain is because I wasn't aroused enough. That and he didn't give any pause before starting to thrust in and out of me.

Thankfully he isn't looking at my face at the moment. I don't want him to see the pain he's causing me.

Finally I feel the pleasure well over the pain. Pain seems like a distant memory now. The feeling of pleasure crashes through me likes waves on a beach. These waves, though, are not generated by the moon, but Ranma, my love and husband.

I now see Ranma's face. His eyes are closed. He looks like he can't believe he's doing this. Like someone took over his body and was making him do something he didn't want to.

If the pleasure I was feeling was waves, then a tsunami just ripped through my body. I'm gasping and moaning from the sensations that the orgasm had generated.

Suddenly Ranma shoves himself really hard into me, and I feel him orgasm inside me. Then I feel another orgasm rip through my body.

Ranma collapses on top of me. I wrap my arms around him, holding him tightly. After a moment he shifts uncomfortably. He stares at me with a frightened look on his face.

"Thank you," I say to him. "That was wonderful." Though it could've been better.

"I-I'm sorry," Ranma said meekly, trying to break out of my embrace.

I hold onto him for dear life. "What do you mean 'I'm sorry?'"

"I-I f-forced..."

I scowl at him. "You didn't force anything. I would be beating the crap out of you right now if you did, wouldn't I?"

"But I..." Ranma tried to say.

I start kissing him. Screw words. Words haven't done much good today. I don't know if his mother would've been convinced if I hadn't kissed Ranma in his girl form.

He reluctantly starts returning the kiss. My hands begin to roam his body. This time I'm leading. He won't touch me anywhere that I hadn't touched him similarly first. So, I make it clear, massaging him with my hand. He's a little limp at the moment.

I carefully roll us over so I'm on top. I smile, feeling that he is quite ready now. I impale myself on him. He won't be able to say he forced himself on me this time.

All too quickly our passions climax. I collapse on him. We embrace bathing in the afterglow.

Suddenly he starts crying. I hate seeing him like this. I hold him closely, and start emitting soothing sounds. I don't know where they come from, but they're working.

Ranma soon falls asleep in my arms. He looks so peaceful now.

My husband, Tendo Ranma, one of the greatest martial artists that ever lived, and I'm helping him fight the greatest of enemies, himself. We must win this fight. Because if he loses, I am lost as well.

* * *

Author's Note:

I really don't know where this came from. I usually have some idea, but I don't this time.

Akane's thoughts occasionally seem to jump around, but then again, so do mine half the time and Akane's thoughts would likely by rather mixed up for what is going on. Also while Ranma spent a good deal of this fict as a girl, this is Akane's thoughts and all she sees is a guy.

Thanks to Bryan Neef and everyone who gave me C&C and read the original version of this series.


	2. Engagement's End

**Rejected**

**Part 2 - Monday - Engagement's End**

_By Lord Archive_

This is darker than any canon Ranma 1/2 story. If you want Takahashi styled humor, you will not find it here.

This is a complete ten-part series and will be posted in full.

Ranma 1/2 characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi and Shogakukan and are used without permission.

* * *

I sit in class, but my mind is not on the teacher. Ranchan isn't in class today. This wouldn't worry me too much if Akane weren't absent too. They're probably on one of his odd adventures. If they are, why haven't they asked me for help? I am Ranchan's cute fiancee after all. He probably just wants to keep me out of harm's way.

Hmm... Lunch time in a second. I can track down Nabiki and find out from her. I don't like having to pay her for information, but it's necessary.

When the bell rings, I quickly rush out of class. I know Nabiki will likely be outside, since she likes being easily available to her customers. I wonder what she does with all that money she makes. I probably paid her college tuition by myself.

I see Nabiki's cohorts working as intermediaries, but she is nowhere in sight. That's odd for her. I go up to one of her 'friends' and ask, "Where's Nabiki?"

"She's spending lunch with Kuno. If you want anything, I'll try to get it," is the reply.

"Do you know where Ranma and Akane are?"

The girl shook her head. "Boss didn't tell us."

Nabiki always kept them appraised of Ranma's and Akane's activities because that information can be easily sold. Something major had to have happen for her not to tell them. Nabiki isn't someone that would make a mistake and forget or neglect to inform them.

I try to push it out of my mind. What could have possibly happened? Both of them being sick would not be enough. If Ranma had hurt Akane, she'd be selling it to get revenge. Maybe Akane really hurt Ranma badly in one of their fights. She'd cover it up to protect her sister, and to keep Ranchan safe while he recovers. If that's the case, Akane is going to be in a world of hurt.

* * *

I walk up to the Tendo home. I really hate it that Ranma lives here with Akane. Why can't he live with me? I'm his cute fiancee after all. He should be with me, and not with her.

I knock on the door. Kasumi greets me, "H-hello Ukyou, what can I do for you?" She's looking at me with a sad smile. What the hell has happened to cause her to look sad?

"I didn't see Ranchan in school today, so I thought I'd stop by and see how he's doing."

Kasumi's lips quiver slightly. "How nice. Could you please wait here a moment?"

I'm scared. Something has happened. Something bad. I want to run through the house and find Ranma, but I nod. I'm overreacting, I tell myself. Why does it seem to be such a lie?

Akane now greets me. I could see she's been crying. I don't want her to say anything. I'm afraid... afraid that Ranma might be... NO! I can't think that. Ranma is alive. But why do I have the strong feeling of death around me then?

"Hi Ukyou, we need to talk," Akane says, her voice cracking.

"Ah, sure..." I don't know how else to respond.

Akane sits down, against the wall. She motions for me sit next to her.

"Why don't we talk inside or in the dojo?" I ask.

Akane reacts visibly when I said dojo. I'm not sure what to call the reaction, but it certainly suggests that she really didn't like that idea.

"Let's just talk here. I... I'll explain everything," Akane says.

I have a greater foreboding. I can't get the idea out of my head now that Ranma might of... in the dojo... "Is Ranchan..." The trembling in my voice probably reaches 7.0 on the Richter scale. I don't sit down as much as I collapse next to Akane.

"Ranma is fine," Akane says. Why is she playing with the ring on her finger? I don't remember her wearing a ring before.

Akane is on the verge of tears, and begins, "Y-yesterday... Ranma's mother came here in search of him." Ranma got to see his mother? That should be good news? "She hadn't seen him since he was four, when Uncle Saotome took him away to train." That jackass took Ranchan away from her for that long! "Before they left, though, they signed an agreement..." Akane was crying now. "... that if Saotome Ranma wasn't a man amongst men that... they'd commit s-seppuku." The life drains from my face. "I was able to save Ranma... but not his parents. We tried to convince his mother Ranma is a man, but she all she could see was his cursed body."

Akane looks at me with such a horrible sadness in her eyes. "She rejected him. His own mother couldn't even stand the sight of him. What's worse... after Ranma watched his father... die she had him be her second. She had him help kill her."

Oh gods, that's horrible! How could such a thing happen?

"Ranma needs you as a friend right now. Don't mention anything about fiancees or anything else. Just be a friend, and don't reject him," Akane insists.

"Why would I reject him?"

Akane swallows hard. "To save Ranma, to save the man I love, I married him. I made him Tendo Ranma so he would not have die with his parents."

"How... HOW COULD YOU?!" I scream in outrage. "If he married anyone, it should've been me! I'm his fiancee!"

"I was his fiancee too..." Her look is initially of anger, but it relaxes. "...and I love him. I had to marry him. If I didn't, he'd be dead. Not because his mother would've made him kill himself, but because _I_ would've rejected him. He can't take rejection of any sort right now. Even with everyone in my family trying to make him feel loved and accepted, at no time will we let him be alone. We're afraid that he still might kill himself because his mother could not accept him."

Rejected.

Even through my anger, that she took Ranchan from me... that word reaches me. Ranma was rejected in a far worse way than he had unknowingly rejected me. He just ran off, I always had the chance of finding him and being accepted again. Ranma can't do that, because his mother is dead.

Even though I can never be his wife and love now, I can still be accepted as a friend. But, he'll never have any form of acceptance from his mother. His own mother, who in her rejection of him, took away his father and had him behead her.

Ranma needs a friend now, and not a jealous girl beating him or... his wife up.

I close my eyes, trying to control my emotions. "Akane... I love Ranma and I will not reject him because you married him. We WILL talk about this later, after Ranma is feeling better."

Akane gives me a little smile and nods. We get up and walk inside the home. I see Akane frown when we enter the dining room. Ranma is playing shogi with her father.

Most of the times I've seen Genma, he was sitting where Ranma is now. I doubt it's a good idea for Ranma to remind himself about his father, nor for Mr. Tendo to be reminded that he just lost his friend.

"Hi, Ranchan," I greet him.

"U-Ucchan... hi," he returns the greeting nervously. Mr. Tendo takes the chance to cheat. Ranma makes no effort to stop him.

"Akane told me everything," I say. I want to say more. Probably scream at him, asking him why he didn't ask to marry me instead of Akane. But he looks so much like a lost puppy. Cold, alone, and without hope are what his eyes tell me.

"Everything?" Ranma begins to study the shogi board.

"Yeah. I would've liked to have been invited to your wedding." As the bride.

Ranma pouts. "Sorry. We didn't really have any time to invite any guests."

"I understand." I sigh. "Ranma... I'm really sorry about your parents, and I want you to know I'll always be your friend."

"Thanks." He gives me a ghost of a smile.

"Ranma, why don't we sit around the table and talk?" Akane suggests.

Ranma nods. He moves one piece on the shogi board first. Mr. Tendo's jaw drops, seeing as Ranma won the game with that move.

I sit down at the table. Akane sits down on another side. Ranma sits down next to her. I don't think he realizes he just put his arm around her. He seems... happier with the contact though.

We start talking about nothing in general. I talk about how school went today. They're pretending to be interested.

I hate the sight in front of me. Ranma is in great emotional pain. A pain I never want to see etched onto his face, but I am seeing it. That I might be able to deal with if I was the one truly helping him. But I'm not, Akane is. Akane is his life line. Akane is the person he yearns to be accepted by, not me.

I offer my love unconditionally and he's cast it aside in favor of someone else's love. I want him to accept my love, to accept me unconditionally. He isn't. He is only accepting my friendship. I'll take it, because if I don't... I have no one. No one but an okonomiyaki restaurant filled with strangers and acquaintances. I have no other friends than the Tendo couple in front of me.

Tendo suddenly seems to me like a curse word like Saotome was during my childhood. Actually Saotome is a curse word to me now. Mrs. Saotome may have let Ranma live, but her actions still took him away from me.

I make my stay short. I can no longer see Ranma right now. The pain is too much.

They walk me to the door and bid me farewell. My body is pretty much on autopilot at the moment. I see what's going on, but I don't feel like I'm part of it.

I give them a final wave good-bye from the gate. I watch them turn and walk into the house.

Sometimes I hate being a martial artist. This is one of those times. I notice now how Akane is walking a little differently. Most people would miss it, but I can't. It's part of my training to read my opponents movements to find weaknesses. That skill tells me Akane has been hurt in some way between her legs. That Akane is not Ranma's wife just in name if I'm right in just how she was 'hurt' there.

I want to scream. I want to destroy. I want to kill her.

I walk from the Tendo home. I'm probably crying. I can't tell. I feel my mind shutting down, cutting off the pain.

I now wonder what's worse: Ranma not being able to be accepted by his mother anymore because she's dead or me not being able to be accepted by Ranma because... he loves someone else. Her rejection of him is just as irrevocable as mine, but mine is compounded by the fact I'll see him and his rejection repeatedly.

Ranma never has to be reminded of his mother's rejection. I shake my head. That's wrong. Little things will always remind him of his parents. Like when Ranma left me all those years ago, it was the small things that reminded me he left. The lack of the yatai didn't remind me too much of him. But a week after he left the sight of dust that started to collect on the first aid kit had sent me crying for hours. Odd that I would be reminded of him by a box I had to use regularly to heal my injuries he had inflicted on me. Maybe it was because I wanted it to heal my emotional injuries and not just the physical ones.

I arrive at my restaurant. I see a couple people are waiting for me to open. I let them in with me, letting them know it'll be several minutes before the grill will be ready.

I see the guy pull a knife. I wonder where this guy is from. If he's from around here, he's really stupid.

"Give me all your money!" I hear him order me.

I really don't want to see what my face looks like right now. I probably look like a tiger just before it delivers the killing blow. Without a word, I pull my combat spatula off my back and start playing racquet ball. The so called thief is the ball. After bouncing him off the walls three times, I miss him on the return as his body flies past me. I look at the others that came in with him. They fight to get out of my restaurant. I can smell the fear that I placed in them.

I scope the guy I bounced around up with my combat spatula and carry him to the garbage cans. I dump him in one.

I take a breath. I HATE it when I get that way. Such rage and anger is Akane's turf. I normally have better control. Right now I have far too little. Ranma is the cause of it, even if it's not really his fault.

I look at the thief. He'll live, but he'll be purple for a while.

"Taking out the trash I see," I hear Nabiki's cold voice say.

I turn and look at her. I'm not sure what emotion I'm projecting right now. "He picked a really bad time to try and rob me. I just... talked to... Ranma."

"I see." I see to. Her voice may be calm and cold, but her eyes carry what she really feels. "How is he?" Seeing concern from her almost scares me for some reason.

"I guess he's fine. He's holding onto... his wife desperately." I'm sure I said 'wife' like it was the most vile word I know.

Nabiki nods. "How are you?"

"Besides, just finding out the love of my life just lost his parents and married someone else, not bad." The joys of sarcasm.

I see Nabiki flounder, trying to think of something to say. My finding out what happened yesterday must not have been anywhere in her plans.

"Don't worry about me. I'm not going to hurt Ranma or Akane, the pain they face is far worse than what I could or would ever inflict on them."

Nabiki nods again. "Well, I'm rather busy. See you around." She disappears around the corner quickly.

I reenter my restaurant. It takes but a couple minute to open it for business. I mark cracked wall planks down to be repaired later. I begin to absorb myself into my work.

Time is passing with little notice on my part. I do what I do best, make okonomiyaki.

I should be happy with the brisk business, but it feels empty now. What's the point without love, the love of the man I love?

Mrs. Saotome, a woman I never met, has ruined my life like her husband did ten years ago. They both took the one I love from me. How could she not accept Ranma? She's his mother, and she should accept him regardless of what he looks like. Parents should give unconditional love not unconditional rejection. If that woman wasn't already dead, I'd kill her.

I really wish that were true: unconditional love from your parents. I would be looking a lot more like a girl right now if that was the case. They couldn't accept a disgraced daughter, but could accept an odd son.

I want this to be over. Over how? I don't know now. I just want it over.

Wait... It is over. The agreement between my father and Genma was resolved last night. The one who entered into it dishonorably has redeemed himself. The one who ruined my childhood has committed seppuku. The reason that held me to being a boy is now over. True my vow of revenge was not upheld, but it's obvious to me now I could've never fully went through with it.

All that I was for the past ten years is no more. It has ended honorably. True I would've preferred it if Ranma had married me, but I can go home now as a girl. Nothing holds me to this life. I am free to chose my own path.

Nice thoughts. They help me. But if Ranma had to give up being a Saotome last night, why couldn't he choose to be a Kuonji? I love him, and yet another woman now shares his bed.

Life really sucks. It just threw me a bunch of lemons. I guess I should make lemon okonomiyaki then. I chuckle dryly to myself at that thought.

The day ends. I clean up the restaurant with practiced ease. I walk up to my room and try to go to sleep.

Sleep doesn't want to come. I'm tried. Tried and lost. Lost and without love. Without love, I am nothing. I am directionless now. Love had given me direction, but it's been rejected. I must find a new direction or I'll end up like Ryoga, always asking the way to somewhere but never finding it. Finding what? Love and acceptance.

* * *

Author's notes:

Thanks to all who've sent C&C on this series so far, especially Gary Kleppe.


	3. Impossible Mission

**Rejected**

**Part 3 - Tuesday - Impossible Mission**

_By Lord Archive_

This is darker than any canon Ranma 1/2 story. If you want Takahashi styled humor, you will not find it here.

This is a complete ten-part series and will be posted in full.

Ranma 1/2 characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi and Shogakukan and are used without permission.

* * *

I hate busy days at work. Busy days mean I can't see Ranma. I want to see Ranma. I haven't hugged him since Saturday. He must miss me.

At least I show him how I feel. That perverted girl that calls herself Ranma's fiancee doesn't show him how she feels except through violent, jealous rage. Fortunately Ranma is too blind to see it for what it is. I'm afraid that one day he will realize it and I'll lose him.

I look at the clock and see that I'll have to go downstairs and help Great-grandmother prepare for the dinner rush. I roll out of bed, check myself in the mirror, and walk out of my room. Great-grandmother can certainly be a slave driver at times.

I walk down the stairs and see that mercenary girl, Nabiki, walk out of the restaurant. I wonder why she was here. She is usually here to see me about Ranma. I shrug. If it's important, I'll find out soon enough.

I look around and see Mousse is oddly absent. Much to my relief, but I thought he was working while I was on break. Maybe he heard Nabiki say something about Ranma and he stupidly ran off to fight him.

Wait a second, the restaurant is closed now. Why would Great-grandmother close the restaurant?

"Shampoo, I need to talk to you," Great-grandmother says, in the barbarians' language.

"Why restaurant closed?" I ask.

Great-grandmother frowns deeply. "A tragedy has occurred that is not for others to know just yet."

"What, Ranma marry kitchen destroyer?" I joke.

By all that is sacred, NO! As soon as my 'joke' left my mouth, Great-grandmother's eyes look hard and seriously at me.

I can feel my eyes widen in shock to the point they no long fit in my eye sockets. "WHAT? Don't tell Shampoo, husband marry violent girl?!" I turn and start to run out of the restaurant.

Suddenly I feel a pin prick at the back of my neck, and I can no longer move.

"I am sorry Shampoo, but Ranma has married Akane. If he hadn't, he would be dead," Great-grandmother tells me coldly.

I can't not speak. I want to speak. I want to scream. I want to do something besides stand like a statue and listen to this. Damn you, Great-grandmother, and damn your pressure points.

"Will you calm down so I can explain what has happened?" Great-grandmother asks.

I glare at Great-grandmother. It's all I can do.

"Ranma's mother had the right to force the end of the Saotome clan. Two days ago, she did just that. She had those of her family who bore the name Saotome commit ritual suicide. Akane saved Ranma by marrying him and making him a Tendo in the process."

Akane married Ranma to save his life. The marriage is a sham! I can get Ranma to divorce Akane and marry me!

Great-grandmother glares at me. "Get that hopeful look out of your eyes. Ranma and Akane are married in every sense of the word."

They can't be... They couldn't have...

Great-grandmother let out a cold laugh. "Nabiki went as far as joking about them keeping her up at night."

Why? Why must you tell me this? I can feel tears coating my checks. I don't have the power to stop myself from crying.

"You also must understand, Shampoo, that the reason the Saotome clan ended was that Ranma was suppose to be raised a man amongst men. His mother felt the curse had caused him to fail. She had Genma and herself killed because she did not see the man in his cursed body. His parents died because she saw Ranma as a failure," Great-grandmother explains.

Ranma is no failure! How could anyone think Ranma is a failure?! His mother must be blind to see him as such.

"Ranma has taken his mother's decision as being true, that he is a failure. Akane has kept a constant vigil over him. Not letting him ever be alone. Letting him know she doesn't think of him as the failure, but his mother. Nabiki doubts he would be alive now if it was not for Akane giving him unconditional love," Great-grandmother continues.

Love? Akane doesn't love Ranma! She hurts him. She insults him. She gets jealous over him.

She is confused about him...

She loves him.

I don't think I could stop my tears now if I could try.

This is a tragedy. More than Ranma knows. More than even Mousse knows. He is not privy to all the marriage laws, just those between Amazon men and women.

What do I do now?

My life is over. Everything I ever fought for is gone. I am nothing.

I feel Great-grandmother tap several times me. I can move my head now, but I still can't speak.

"Shampoo, are you going to kill Ranma for this?"

I shake my head. I could never kill the man I love. I'm not sure if I could ever kill anyone in the manner it would be necessary for me to kill someone like him.

"What about Akane?" Great-grandmother presses.

I nod. She has taken Ranma from me. Obstacles are to be destroyed. At least I can kill her in proper combat... I think. I'm not too sure I could kill someone even in battle.

Great-grandmother shakes her head. "If you kill Akane, you kill Ranma. It is the love she gives him that is keeping him alive. You kill her and Ranma will likely commit suicide."

Ranma is stronger than that. Ranma would not kill himself over violent girl.

Great-grandmother sighs. "Ranma has failed to be a man in his mother's eyes. If you kill Akane, he will see it as proof of his failure, since he could not save his own wife."

I look down at the floor. Ranma would likely think that.

"So are you going to kill her?" Great-grandmother questions.

I shake my head no.

"Shampoo, are you going to return to the village?" The sadness in her voice hurts me.

Return to the village. Return home without Ranma as my husband. To return and be punished for my failure. The elders would likely make another example of me. Last time I was cursed. I shudder to think what the next punishment would be.

I shake my head.

"You will be a wandering Amazon then?" Great-grandmother asks.

I nod yes. What other choice is there? Kill the man I love or go home and face a fate that might be worse than death. I have to become one of the wanderers.

Great-grandmother sighs. "I understand your decision. The restaurant is yours. I will be leaving tomorrow."

I nod. Great-grandmother is breaking laws staying with me that long. At least I have something to hold on to once she is gone.

I feel another prick against my skin. I collapse to my knees.

"What are you going to do about Mousse?" Great-grandmother asks.

"Will make Mousse go back with Great-grandmother." I know I could speak my own language now, but I'm going to have to truly learn how to speak this language. I might never even see China again now.

"Are you sure? You could use him as friend," Great-grandmother points out.

"Mousse would never leave Shampoo then. If any benefit comes from this, is no more Mousse."

Great-grandmother sighs again. "Then I suggest you start finding friends. I also suggest you don't tell Ranma what his marriage has done to you. He might not take it very well at the moment."

I nod. "Where Mousse?"

"I had Mousse run an errand for me. He won't be back until late tonight."

Good, I have time to think of a way to convince him to leave.

* * *

I put on a strong face, a face of an Amazon. Definitely not the face of the girl that was crying for over an hour. Though I can feel that face lying just underneath the facade I'm showing.

While Great-grandmother's words rang true, I must see if it is true. I must see that Ranma has married Akane.

I could use the door. I could release some of my pain and make my own door. I could spy on them first to make sure they don't make an act of being married.

I sneak into the bathing room and turn myself into a cat. It's much easier to spy this way.

I carefully walk through the house and find Ranma and Akane in the dining room. I can't see their faces, but I already don't like what I see. They are leaning against each other and holding each other.

I move around the edge of the room. They are watching the television at the moment. That's good, less likely they'll notice me.

I now see their faces. I can hardly recognize them. They look like they've aged years in the past three days.

Ranma's eyes shows a look I never want to see on anyone. The look of someone who has seen too much. Too many battles, too many deaths.

Akane's eyes aren't much better. Her eyes shows like the father who sent his daughter to a battle, not knowing if and possibly not even expecting her to ever come back.

The way they are sitting and leaning against each other makes them look like two pieces of a puzzle that fit perfectly together.

I didn't know cats could cry, because I am. Maybe normal cats can't, but I certainly can.

I don't know how long I've been sitting there. I just watch them. Wanting them to show me that perhaps there is still a chance. That one day Ranma will marry me.

They don't. They just sit there, comfortable with each other's presence. They say little. It seems like they don't need to talk to communicate.

Come on fight! Insult each other! Please! Ranma please don't love her.

Please...

I can't watch them anymore. Before I know it I'm in the furo, crying. I can't move because I'm crying too hard.

"Shampoo?" I hear a tentative voice ask.

I turn my head and look at Kasumi. Her look of concern helps me somehow. I'm not sure why, but it does.

"Do you know what's happened?" Kasumi asks.

I nod. "Is no fair. I should marry Ranma, not kitchen destroyer."

Kasumi's frown deepens. "You couldn't all marry him."

"Maybe if find magic means to copy Ranma, can get my own Ranma."

I laugh a little, and she giggles. It helps the pain.

I slowly get out of the furo and put on my clothes I had left in there. I don't care that I'm still wet. "Kasumi... tell Ranma, I want to be friends. That if needs to see a friendly face, can come to Neko-Hanten."

"I will." Kasumi gives me a smile.

Preparing to climb out the window, I look at Kasumi one last time. "Tell Akane... thanks for saving Ranma."

I'm running now. Running through what will likely be my new permanent home, Nerima. I hated leaving home to come here to kill outsider girl that dishonored me so spectacularly. I hated coming back here in attempts of winning the love that same outsider who was really a guy. It helped lessen the hate and pain that I actually loved him. It didn't matter though, I had to do such things for honor.

Honor. Such a cursed word. I will never know of one worse. Honor has stripped me of home, family, and now love.

What am I to do with myself now?

Am I to become as other wanderers, mercenaries. An expert martial artist rented to the highest bidder? No, to do that means I would have to kill. I won't do that for money.

I guess I am to live onto my dying day at the Neko-Hanten. Then again I may get lucky and both Ranma and I outlive Akane. Then I could marry Ranma. Yeah right. Stubborn girl would likely outlive Ranma if he sees two hundred.

I have failed my people. I embarked on a mission that I now have no hope of completing, and yet I cannot stop wandering until I have completed that mission. To be a wanderer is a mark of failure. To die a wanderer is the greatest of shames and the mark of failure as an Amazon, as a woman, as a person. To be a failure in body and soul. To die with no Amazon caring that I had ever lived. I will be rejected by everyone and everything. I will be nothing.

* * *

*Cologne*

* * *

It is time to leave this place. I have spent almost a year here suspecting that this would be the outcome. Ever since I saw that Tendo girl control Ranma when he was in Neko-ken, I knew Shampoo's chances of marrying him weren't very good. The only way she could win is for Ranma to fall in love with her. To love her as he loves Akane.

It pains me to leave Shampoo behind, but it may be for the best. For if she comes home, she would either face a punishment possibly worse than death or she would have killed the one she loves. That, in itself, is worse than death.

Part of yourself dies when you kill. When you kill a love one, you die too. I know Shampoo can't bring herself to kill Ranma. She couldn't do it when she thought he was a girl. I rather doubt she could kill Akane, either.

I shall work to find a way to allow her to return. I may have to ask her to perform a near impossible mission to get her readmitted into the village. But if their is a way, I will see she returns.

* * *

Author's Note:

Thanks to the Rams and Freemage for going over the original version of this.

There is more to being a wanderer than just the social stigma. Those aspects get explained in the next part.


	4. Blind Love

**Rejected**

**Part 4 - Wednesday - Blind Love**

_By Lord Archive_

This is darker than any canon Ranma 1/2 story. If you want Takahashi styled humor, you will not find it here.

This is a complete ten-part series and will be posted in full.

Ranma 1/2 characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi and Shogakukan and are used without permission.

* * *

I awake to a blur. That's normal. I always have a hard time seeing. There is only one thing I can ever see clearly and that is my love for Shampoo.

The Old Ghoul sent me out on a fool's errand after Nabiki told her something. I really want to know what it is Nabiki said. They had better not be plotting to get Ranma together with Shampoo.

I'm not sure about how Nabiki is involved in this fiancee mess that surrounds Ranma. I know she makes a mint selling stuff to various fiancees, pitting them against each other. Never has she given full advantage to one over another, even her own sister. Perhaps the Dried Mummy decided to give Nabiki an offer she couldn't refuse. After all, their are some priceless Amazon treasures in her possession that also have powerful magic.

Whatever the plan is, I will stop it!

I sit quietly in my cage. What I put up with in the name of love. I live like I do, willingly, for my love. If anyone tried to force me to live like this, they would be dead.

Ah, the shining light of my love is here. Oh, Shampoo, how I have missed your glorious sight.

Note to self, stop spending time around Kuno.

My cage opens and the soft gentle hand of my love pick me up and toss me into the sink. She turns on the hot water, and now I am standing as man. My assets are in front of her face. "Shampoo my love!"

"Mousse should have some shame! Put clothes on!" she demands.

"Love does not know of shame!"

I see her head turn away. I'm not sure if I heard her correctly, but I swear I just heard her say, "Have to ask Akane that." She knocks me into the corner of the room and tosses my clothes on me. I quickly put them on.

"Does Mousse really love Shampoo?" she asks and my heart soars with the eagles.

"Yes! I really love you with all my heart and being and body..."

Shampoo interrupts, "Then promise that you will one day die an honored Amazon male."

"I promise Shampoo! I swear by all that is sacred that I will die an honored Amazon male."

She's smiling at me. Finally she sees that I love her! "Will never forgive if you break that promise."

"I will never break it." I stand firm on this.

"Then today, Mousse must leave for China," she tells me seriously.

My eyes widen in shock. She finally gave up on Saotome. We can go home. Maybe she'll even be my wife. I'd jump for joy, but I can barely manage standing right now.

"Great-grandmother and Mousse must leave soon," she insists.

"Of course, we'll leave soon. I can have us packed and ready to go before the day is through." This is the happiest day of my life. I grab a box and start tossing stuff into it.

Shampoo stops me. "No, that stuff stays here. Mousse and Great-grandmother leave."

"W-what?"

"I am wanderer now," she tells me sadly.

My legs give out. "W-wanderer... you can't mean..."

"On hopeless mission to marry Ranma. Can not go home until married to him, but Ranma married to Akane now. I will never marry him, so I am wanderer."

"But Shampoo... why? Why can't you go home?"

"Because I got cursed for not returning with Ranma that first time. What would elders do if I return without Ranma?"

"Certainly they couldn't..."

"Mousse! I was greatest of her generation and heir to Khu Lon. I failed to kill and failed to marry, so elders will make example if I return. I may end up trapped in curse form, executed in a painful, public display, or some other sort of punishment that makes death look like something rather nice." She shudders.

My darling Shampoo a wanderer... how can this be? This is wrong... so very wrong. All because she couldn't kill or marry Ranma. I... I will kill him for Shampoo.

I stand up and take two steps towards the door. I stop because I feel Shampoo's sword at my throat.

"Mousse, remember promise. I am already marked as wanderer. You can no longer interfere or be dishonored. Dishonor in this means Mousse will never die as honorable Amazon male. You would break promise, and I never forgive." She then sighs. "I couldn't return if someone else kills Ranma now. Only I can kill Ranma, or stay wanderer."

"But Shampoo... why can't I stay with you then? I can be your wandering partner."

"Because no love Mousse. I barely tolerate now, cannot bear thought of having to put up with you for rest of life. Also then Mousse break promise and die dishonorably," she insists.

"But... Shampoo..." My legs once again give out. I can't take this. She is leaving me and I can't stop it. By Amazon laws Shampoo is dead to me now. Why? Why can't she just marry me? Why can't she let me at least stay with her as her wandering partner?

"Wish Mousse realize this sooner. Give up silly pursuit. At least you can go home." The sadness in voice sings like a melody to my ears. One that would move me to tears if I wasn't crying already.

"This isn't fair!" I cry.

She bows her head. "Mousse right, is no fair. It is what it is, and the law is the law. Have no choice."

"What... what are you going to do now?"

She shrugs. "Run restaurant. Is all I have left."

"Shampoo..." I sob.

"Mousse go pack. Must leave wanderer as soon as possible."

Reluctantly I get up and do as she says. I don't want to leave her, but I must. Damn all the laws and honor, I want to be with Shampoo... but she wants me to die with honor. I... I must do as she wants.

I pack my things quickly into my robes. Hidden weapons school of martial arts certainly helps with the carrying the luggage. I wish I could laugh at my joke, but I don't feel like it.

I've been here for almost a year now. It's become a home of sorts, but I have to leave here. I can't associate with a wanderer.

Wanderer. A cursed term of my people. A name for those who have entered into an impossible mission that has no hope of being completed and yet death would be preferable to failing that mission. A wanderer can't receive help from or even be with any Amazon unless they are their wandering partner. The wanderer must execute the conclusion of the mission, and not by anyone else's hands or by accident. At no time is a wanderer allowed to return home without proof of the completion of the mission or face a punishment where execution is one of the more lenient forms.

What is worse is that the elders can now choose to add more missions for Shampoo to complete before she can return. They may even demand Shampoo honor both her missions, marry and kill Ranma before she can return. If they give her a mission and Shampoo fails it, she can be punished as if she had returned to the village.

My precious Shampoo is a wanderer, and I can't do a damn thing about it.

I may not be able to kill Ranma, but I can tell him what I think of him and what he's done to Shampoo.

I prepare to leave, perhaps to never again see this place or Shampoo ever again after today.

The Old Ghoul will likely take all day to finish packing her stuff. I will go to see Ranma and I will make him see what he's done.

"Where Mousse going? Great-grandmother isn't ready to leave," I hear my beloved ask to me.

"To see Saotome Ranma and bid him fair well." I'm sure there's an evil glint in my eye.

"Mousse no tell Tendo Ranma what happen to me," she pleads.

Tendo? Right, he married Akane and took her name. "Why should I? He should know what he's done to you." The contempt in my voice is thicker than tree sap.

"If Mousse does, Ranma may commit suicide. Ranma is not in healthy frame of mind right now," she tells me.

Ranma commit suicide over this? Ha! The arrogant bastard would likely say sorry and nothing more.

"Mousse no know what happen to Ranma. He married Akane because she accepts him, where Ranma's mother did not. Ranma's mother ended Saotome clan Sunday, because Ranma's mother saw Ranma as failure. Ranma was to be man amongst men, but Ranma's mother see curse as failure. Ranma's mother and father were killed because Ranma's mother blind to man in curse body." Shampoo is now crying, and my heart aches.

Failure? Ranma is a failure? How I wish that were true. Ranma is many things, but not a failure. There is nothing he has ever faced that he has not beaten. Nothing he has not overcome. Failure is not in his rather limited vocabulary. For his own mother to think that must be unbearable. Mothers are to lead, guide and protect and his mother has not done so.

"Mousse understand? Ranma thinks is failure. If he knows of my disgrace, may kill self. Then I have no hope of returning home. My only hope is to outlive Akane. Then I may get to marry Ranma. It not much of hope, but all the hope I have." She tries to wipe away her tears.

"You're not going to try to convince Ranma to divorce Akane or something after he recovers?" I never thought I'd actually desire Shampoo to marry Ranma... but if I am to ever see her again, she must marry him.

Shampoo shakes her head. "I could try but no work. Ranma has married Akane. As much as I hate it, they are truly married. I saw them together when they no see me, what I saw was not even two people who are very close, but one person in two bodies."

One person in two bodies... an Amazon term for a bond beyond marriage. A bond laws and rituals cannot make, only love. A bond that likely means if one dies, both die. For Shampoo to say she saw that, it must be true.

Oh my Shampoo, what shall become of you? I want to be with you always, and yet that is no longer possible. The world is a sad, lonely place for it is now without love.

Note to self, avoid seeing Ryoga. Especially if he knows what's happened.

* * *

I am now at the property of my most accursed foe. The one who unknowingly took my Shampoo away from me, and I can't do a damn thing to him. Think of him as a comrade in arms. One who has helped me in the past.

"Greetings Ranma, Akane," I say to them. I hope I cover my disgust at seeing them.

"Hi, Mousse," they return in unison. They show no signs of seeing how I really feel about them right now.

"I've come to say goodbye."

"Goodbye?" Ranma asks.

"Yes, I have a duty to perform back home. I wish I could stay here, in Japan, longer but that is no longer possible. I will miss you two." Even though I hate them, I do mean what I say. I will miss them.

"I wish you could stay too. It won't be the same without you." Akane's voice is filled with sorrow.

"Oh, you want me running around trying to kill your husband?"

Ranma starts studying the floor.

"No!" Akane flusters. "I mean you're our friend, and we will miss you."

"I guess we did have an odd sort of friendship born of rivalry. But that is past, and I must leave. I would have suggested you stop by and see me if you ever made it to China, but my tribe would likely try to kill Ranma if you did."

"Why's that?" Ranma asks.

"Because you didn't marry Shampoo."

"Oh. So... um, what happens to Shampoo now?" Now he asks?!

I remember the sort of lie Shampoo wants me to tell them. "She'll stay here. She can't return home until she finds a husband, and she made it impossible for it to be me."

"Sorry to hear that. I mean that you can't marry her." Ranma actually means it.

"I can't stay here much longer. The Old Ghoul and I are leaving tonight."

"The Old Ghoul's going to?" Ranma asks.

"Yeah, we have the same duty to perform."

"Will you ever come back?" Akane asks.

"It's not likely, but who knows. If I'm ever in the neighborhood, I'll drop by."

"You'll always be welcome here." Akane says, to which Ranma nods.

"Thank you. Goodbye." I bow to them.

"Goodbye," they say, sadly, as one.

I leave them, to their life, to their future. They are blissfully unaware of what they've done to Shampoo, to me, but at least they aren't blissful. The pain I saw in their eyes is deep enough to make the greatest of warriors cry.

I stop now, a block a way and cry. Ranma has one foot in the grave now. He looks ready to die. If Akane ever gets mad at him and says 'die Ranma' as she has before, he will go and kill himself. For my Shampoo, Ranma must live. But I can't even try to help him live now.

If Shampoo is to ever return, she must marry Ranma. But for that to happen, Akane must die. If Akane dies, though, Ranma dies. Because of this Shampoo is dead to me, now and forever.

"Why Shampoo?! Why have you forced me away from you?!" I scream to the sky.

I have my life ahead of me, but the one I love doesn't. She lives on a hope she knows is false. I must live as my love wishes, to die an honored Amazon male. My life is so hollow now. Dying an honored Amazon holds no meaning to me, save that it is my love's wish that is what I should do.

She has used my love to reject me. I am nothing. I am without love. The love of my life has rejected me.

* * *

*Soun*

* * *

I watch as they perform the funeral services for my oldest and dearest friend.

I don't really know what is going on. I'm crying too hard. Kasumi is comforting me.

At least... at least Saotome got to see his fondest wish fulfilled before he died. That our houses were joined. His son has finally married my youngest daughter.

I was happy and sad when I heard Akane scream out in passion. That the marriage had been consummated made me happy, but the fact that Saotome wasn't around anymore to know it made me sad.

I hope there is some way that a person knows what happens after they die. That Saotome and my darling wife watch over us.

I look at my son-in-law, he's in his girl form. Akane is holding him while he cries.

We got what we wish for Saotome, but I wish it didn't have to happen this way.

Now I'm alone again. Having Saotome around was what helped me get through the day. Now what am I suppose to do? I have nothing left. My remaining days are to be filled with boring nothingness. There is little for me to do anymore.

I might consider joining my wife and my friend if I didn't have some things to live for. I still want to see all of my daughters get married and I want to see my grandchildren born.

Life will be so boring without you, my friend. At least your son will give me some excitement.


	5. Lost Confession

**Rejected**

**Part 5 - Thursday - Lost Confession.**

_By Lord Archive_

This is darker than any canon Ranma 1/2 story. If you want Takahashi styled humor, you will not find it here.

This is a complete ten-part series and will be posted in full.

Ranma 1/2 characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi and Shogakukan and are used without permission.

* * *

The world is a cold and lonely place. I know this for I am truly alone. Alone is not having anyone love you, and no one loves me. I could die now, and no one may ever know or even really care.

The one who I love has married another. My most cursed foe has defeated me for the heart of Akane. How I wish this was not the case, that she loved me not him, that she would show me the affection she does when I'm her pet.

Seeing her confess her love for him felt like having my heart ripped to shreds and scattered on the floor and stomped on. I can still hear her pained voice, calling him to live for her, begging him to stay with her, telling him that she needed him to live or she would die. I had no choice but to see him marry her, because I'm sure Akane would have joined Ranma in death if he hadn't.

While I have wished to see Ranma dead, it should never be the way his mother had demanded it. It is by my hands that he should die, so that I can prove once and for all, I am better than he is. That I'm the better man. How his own mother could not see him as such is beyond me. I talked to her for an hour telling her of our fights and adventures, and yet she could not see that the curse does nothing to the spirit.

Am I less of a man because I'm sometimes a pig? I certainly don't think so. Akane doesn't think so... but she doesn't know. If she does, she's crueler than Nabiki, as she has told me, or rather P-Chan, that 'Ryoga is a good friend and Ukyou shouldn't have tried to force him to like me as anything more,' or 'Why does that idiot infuriate and excite me at the same time?'

Now I can't even be P-Chan, since she shares Ranma's room and... bed. Ranma will not let me near Akane... his wife. And... I must admit, he has every right to do that.

Why did I stay there as long as I did? I should have run from that house of pain once I heard Akane's impassioned words of love. Yet, I stayed. Stayed to see my love marry another. Watch my rival help put an end to the clan he was born to. To see the pain of loss that struck both my rival and my love.

Why did I torture myself that way? Was it to ingrain into myself that Akane is gone? Was it in hope of seeing Akane decide not to marry Ranma, to reject him? Was it to see if Akane needed my help? Why did I do it?

Why I even decided to attempt to spend the night there is beyond me. To lay in Akane's old room, and then hear from her new room THOSE sounds. The sounds... that told me Akane is now truly Ranma's wife... in all senses of the word.

I see a newspaper stand off to the side of the road. May as well find out what city I'm in.

I see the local paper. My heart sinks. It's the Nerima Gazette. I'm in the one city I don't want to be in. The city Mr. and Mrs. Tendo live in. Mrs. Tendo, who is also the woman I love. Who is, now and forever, out of my reach.

I see it is also Thursday. I have been walking around for about four days now. I want to keep walking, and never to return here. When I don't want to be here, here is where I end up. When I want to be here, I end up anywhere but here. I hate my life.

I want to blame Ranma for this, for everything. But... I can't. If anyone is at fault, it is his mother. Ranma is a man amongst men. No one could fight me like he can and not be.

Where to assign blame for the loss of my love? To Ranma to whom it was given despite my best effort to stop it? To Akane who gave her love to him instead of me? To Mrs. Saotome who forced Akane to decide that she loves him? To myself for not letting go sooner?

I see ahead of me Ucchan's. Not exactly a welcomed sight, but I may be able to get some food. I walk straight for the door, not letting anything obstruct my sight of it. I smile when I see Ukyou at the grill. I made it.

I can see by the sad look on Ukyou's face that she knows. While I have seen sad expressions on her face before, it used to be a kind of sad determination, but now it's a lost sadness... a sadness I've seen in reflections of my face.

"Hi, Ryoga. How are you?" She greets me nervously.

I guess she's afraid of how I'm reacting to last Sunday. "Not too good." I sit down at the counter. I'm glad to notice no one else is here. We're free to speak.

"When was the last time you were at the dojo?" she asks.

"S-Sunday night."

Her eyes widen in shock. "You were there?"

I nod.

She stares at me. "How much did you see?"

"All of it. From Akane's confession of love to helping them with Ranma's parents' bodies." I was going to spend the night there, but noises from Ranma's and... Ranma's and... From THAT room...

"Oh, Ryoga..." she trails off uncertainly.

"In a way it's a good thing I was there to see it. Otherwise I'd be ripping his head off right now."

Ukyou pouts. "And he'd let you do it."

"Huh?"

"When I saw Ranma, Monday, he looked ready to die. Nabiki told me he hasn't gotten much better. If you fight him now, it could easily become a death match because he wouldn't care," she warns.

"He's taken the rejection that bad?"

"Trust me. Being rejected by your parents is way beyond bad," she intones.

I want to ask her what she means about that, but our conversation suddenly switches to other things since some customers walk in. There are just some things you don't want anyone but a friend to know, and sometimes not even a friend.

I thank her for the free meal, and I leave. I couldn't stay, since she reminds me of Ranma... and Ranma reminds me of pain.

I walk and wander. I have no path to follow. I am lost, and right now that's just what I want to be.

I turn my head and see a sign on a wall... No! I don't want to be here, anywhere but here. Not their home, the home of my love and her husband. Please let me get lost! Please...

I run away. I turn left, then right, and now I'm... NO! I'm back at the damned dojo. How can I be here? I don't want to be here. I stare in horror at the blood stains on the floor.

"Hello Ryoga. I thought you'd be gone longer," I hear Nabiki say behind me.

"Trust me, I don't want to be here. I want to be somewhere else, anywhere else, even Jusenkyo."

"I thought you'd want to go there. At least you wouldn't have to worry about being P-Chan anymore," Nabiki comments bitterly.

I freeze. She knows. She's going to blackmail me now, and rob me blind. Like I have anything for her to take from me.

I hear Nabiki sigh?

I REALLY want to get off the topic of my curse. This isn't a time to deal with it. "How are they?"

"Ranma is better than you last saw him, but he's still in a sorry shape. I've seen him attempt to get Akane angry at him. To get her to say 'die Ranma' so he can do just that. She got him to promise her to live for her. If she ever said it, I think he'd take it as her letting him out of that agreement."

"Why would he do that if the one he loves is with him?"

Nabiki folds her arms. "Because he wanted his mother to love him, or at least accept him, and she didn't."

I stare at the floor. What if I saw my parents and they...

Nabiki interrupts my thoughts, "Come on, I'll lead you out of here."

I turn around and start to follow her. I close my eyes for but a second and now I see... No, not them, I don't want to see them.

"Hello, Ryoga. How are you?" Akane asks.

"Hi, P-Chan," Ranma says.

I let it slide. His eyes speak of death, his own. He wants the release death would bring. I can bring it, but I won't. "Hi, I'm, ah, fine. I'm just passing through."

"Won't you stay?" Akane asks. How my heart aches when she says that now, when it used to soar.

"Ah, no thanks. I'm off... to do some searching."

Ranma scowls at me. "Don't get any ideas of playing P-Chan anymore."

How could he? I look again in his eyes, and see he really doesn't care about anything.

"What do you mean by that Ranma?" Akane asks innocently. There was no trace of the anger that usually accompanied that question.

"Come on Akane. You are really a dim wit for not seeing it. Ryoga is P-Chan. P-Chan is Ryoga. They wear the same damn bandanna. Ryoga is as aquaphobic as you can get. The only time you've seen him in water was when we were fighting over water proof soap. Have you ever seen them together? Don't they both get lost rather easily?" Ranma spells out viciously.

I see Akane's face contort from Ranma's words. I can tell she doesn't know if she should believe him. She doesn't want to believe it, but if she doesn't she rejects Ranma.

Ranma is asking to let himself die. I will not let him do that. If for nothing else is to see him suffer as I have. He may have Akane to keep him alive, but the pain he's been facing is possibly more than I've ever faced at one time.

There is also the point of our rivalry. If I let him do this, let him commit suicide, I can never prove who is the superior fighter, the superior man.

"It's rather funny that you can't see the obvious," Ranma chuckles dryly, like death already has him.

"Ranma! She just couldn't believe I'm her pet!" I close my eyes. "I'm sorry... Akane, I am P-Chan."

I open my eyes to see the look of shock and horror on her face chill me to the bone and rips my heart into little bits... again.

"When Ranma discovered my curse, he swore an oath to not tell anyone. Right after that, you kissed me and took me to your bed. He has subsequently tried to break that oath by sneaking into your room to protect you from me... Calling me pig names and referring to my family curse even when I'm P-Chan... It is not Ranma's fault that I was your pet. He had promised not to tell. Seeing as I've used the oath dishonorably, I do not hold it against him that he has broken it for I am the one who's to blame."

I close my eyes as I can no longer bear to see the hurt look on Akane's face. "The reason I did that was because I loved you... You showed me an affection that I never received before by anyone. I'm truly sorry for what I've done to you."

I open my eyes to see the familiar face of anger that is now etched on my love, but that anger is directed at me now.

"You-you lied to me. I told you my secrets. You've seen me undressed. I trusted you. You made me think he was worse than he is." Her voice carries an arctic chill that freezes me. I stand there ready for whatever punishment she desires to inflict on me.

I see her charge with a raised fist. With a mighty swing that connects with my face sending me flying through the wall fence and into the wall of the building next door. I can see Akane run to Ranma through the hole. I hear her crying. I want to make that sound go away.

"I'm so sorry, Ranma," I hear as the wind carries the accursed words to me. "I didn't know. Didn't want to know. I'm sorry. Please forgive me."

She begs him for forgiveness. Asking him to forgive her. She should demand he apologize for not telling her. She should make him pay.

I shake my head. He's already paying. Paying a price far greater than all the things he has done.

"Akane... I should apologize to you. I put my own pride above you," I hear Ranma reply. At least he got that right.

"Ranma, it goes beyond him being P-Chan. I accepted his word because I wanted you to be bad. Wanted you to be someone I couldn't love or marry. I'm sorry. I'm glad you proved him wrong, and that you are a good man. A man that I love."

I hear no more. I see no more since I shut off my senses to everything. They are probably kissing... or more.

After some time I hear, "Are you all right?"

I open my eyes and see Nabiki. "I'm fine." It's a lie, but she knows that.

"Ryoga..." Nabiki sighs. "Thanks for telling them that."

"If I hadn't, Ranma would be dead. I want to prove one day I am better than he is. I can't do that if he kills himself. Akane is lost to me already so I had nothing to lose. Besides, I like seeing him suffer, death would release that suffering."

I get up and start walking.

I walk and walk. I wonder if I shall ever find love again. I lost my love, because she has rejected me for now she truly knows who I am. Perhaps I can return and be friends. But love will never come. My heart is heavy this night.

Oddly, though, my confession has helped me. It has lessened the pain of my loss. I didn't think it would but it has.

I sigh. To have loved and lost is better than never to have loved at all. But now I am alone. Alone without love is to truly be alone. I could die tomorrow and no one would know, and now, certainly, no one would even care.

Alone to walk on forever. Alone by myself. Will I ever find love?

I see a shooting star and wish that I may soon find love.

* * *

Thanks to all of you who sent me C&C on this series.


	6. Love of Power

**Rejected**

**Part 6 - Friday - Love of Power.**

_By Lord Archive_

This is darker than any canon Ranma 1/2 story. If you want Takahashi styled humor, you will not find it here.

This is a complete ten-part series and will be posted in full.

Ranma 1/2 characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi and Shogakukan and are used without permission.

* * *

It's been a bad week. Really bad. Today is going to be the worst, for me, since Sunday. Since the day my little sister got married and then lost her in-laws, because her oh-so-brief mother-in-law refused to acquire all the facts on Ranma and committed seppuku. Someone making a decision of that magnitude without knowing all that facts is sheer stupidity. No wonder Ranma can be so stupid. Here I thought he inherited it all from his father.

I think what surprised me most out of this whole mess was that I thought Akane was going to marry Ranma as a sham marriage, to keep him safe. That isn't what happened. She really married him. The closeness between them now goes beyond anything I've seen before in anyone. Kasumi said that she's seen it before... that she's seen Mom and Dad that way... towards the end.

How did that tear get on my face? I wipe it off. It does me no good to cry.

I wasn't really surprised when she didn't say anything about having her stuff moved into Ranma's room. He was really hurting and someone had to watch him. I was surprised to hear the sounds of Akane and Ranma making love. I didn't expect they'd do that. Maybe I bought too much into their act that they didn't like each other to notice they were in love.

I'm kind of curious if they've been having sex while I'm at school. So far, I've only heard them at night. I wish they'd be quieter. Then again, those noises are preferable to the sounds of them fighting.

If only I could sell photos of them or something. I can't do that right now, considering Ranma's state of mind and all. I've had to forget about making any profit this week because I had to make sure Ranma wouldn't get himself killed, and control the arrival of suitors and enemies so Ranma could deal with them.

I have to keep Ranma alive, because if I don't, Akane will die too.

Lucky for me, Ukyou did what I wanted her to do without my help.

Shampoo knows, but is staying away. Just a message to Kasumi. Better than her trying to kill Akane.

Mousse almost blew it, but he and Cologne are gone now.

Ryoga saved the day when Ranma decided to spill the beans on P-Chan. I'm not sure we can repay him for his help. No, I'd call it debt settled for him playing P-Chan in the first place. Well, maybe he still owes us for that.

Today is Kuno's turn. I've been working on him since Monday. Little by little, chipping away at his delusions. Hope I broke them down enough that he won't go ballistic when I tell him.

While I'm not entirely sure I even like the additional plan to help soften the blow, I'm going to have to do it. Anything that helps keep Ranma alive has to be done. Even that.

Walking into the dining room, I see Ranma and Akane are there. Kasumi already brought out breakfast so I sit down and start eating.

I don't like the look on Ranma's face. He's looking over at the koi pond, like he's watching himself and his father fighting over it. I wish he'd just snap out of it and be the jerk I'm familiar with, the one I can deal with and make money off of. This Ranma is an enigma to everyone but Akane.

When the reality hits him that he beheaded his own mother because of honor, it may be enough to shock him into dropping any pretense of honor on his part. And that makes it VERY dangerous to do anything to him, as his chauvinistic tendency of not hitting girls was brought about solely by his sense of honor, and doing something to anger him could actually endanger my own life. That, or it could make my schemes painful enough to make him forget his promise to Akane and put the knife in his gut.

"So, are you two going to try and go back to school Monday?" I ask them.

Akane doesn't answer, she's looking at Ranma. It's for him to decide.

"Yeah. Can't stay cooped up in here too long." Ranma's answer surprises me a little. He didn't really like school much before, but I can understand why he would want to get out of here.

"Guess I should let the school know you're married then, so they have time to get used to the idea before you return."

They both look at me in wide eyed shock.

"You haven't sold that to the school already?" Akane asks. I feel like I've been slapped.

"What do you take me for? I couldn't let this information out, considering what happened after the wedding."

Ranma stares at the floor. Remember, don't say anything more that might cause him to think about his parents.

"I had to release the information carefully, to control when the others came here. I couldn't just let them come in one big swarm this time, could I? I've also been working on Kuno. We really don't need him going ballistic."

"You've been doing that?" Akane asks, her disbelief now makes me feels like I've been punched in the gut.

"Yes. You should expect Kuno to show up today. Hopefully, he'll be somewhat reasonable and respectable."

"So, how've you been handling everything?" Ranma asks.

"Well, I told Cologne Tuesday and she in turned told Shampoo. Cologne was able to control Shampoo long enough to tell her everything. I was going to tell Ukyou Monday, but she beat me to the punch. For Kuno, I've been drilling things into his head like how you're engaged and that he has no say in the matter. Other than that, I've had my friends keep an eye on everyone to give advance warning if they show up."

"Where's the profit in it for you?" Ranma asks. Just great, that tone again. He wants to get Akane to fight him, and he's using me this time to attempt to trigger it.

"There is none. It's a wedding present if you will."

"Oh, really?" Ranma asks skeptically.

"Can't I do something nice for my sister and her husband?"

Ranma looks at me warily. He's trying to come up with something to retort against my question.

Fortunately Akane is the one to reply first. "Thanks Nabiki. We really appreciate it."

"You're welcome. I'm off to school now. See you later."

I got up and left. I hadn't exactly finished breakfast, but I couldn't stay much longer. I don't want to tempt Ranma. I'm a pretty tempting target to start a fight, considering what I've done to him in the past.

I don't like that they thought so little of me that I would sell them out after what happened. Did they really think I'd stoop so low? That I'd be really that reckless and let everyone know before implementing damage control? Ranma is already suicidal, if I had done that, Ranma would be dead. As much as he infuriates me, he's my brother now and I'm not going to let him curl up and die. Particularly since he'd take Akane with him if he did.

Money may be important to me, but life is more important. Money will always be there, but people won't. It's best to make sure they're around as long as possible, even if you don't really care to see them.

Kuno still hasn't gotten a clue and given up yet. He's doing his morning stretches in the hope that today he'll defeat Ranma. Chances of him winning are currently set at 100 to 1, and there are no takers because it's a waste of money.

Only five other students, good. I won't look too much like a fool for implementing my additional plan.

"Hello there, Kuno-chan. You look very dashing today." I'm right, I don't like this plan already.

"Glorious morning to you, Tendo Nabiki. Does thou have news of my loves or the accursed Saotome?"

"Why do you insist on chasing after things that you have no hope of getting?"

"Ah, but there is hope, for I am truly the better man. Saotome will be crushed, and I shall have my loves!" Kuno elates.

I sigh. "Now, Kuno-chan, really. Even if you defeat Ranma it changes nothing. Akane is not free to marry you. The pig-tailed girl can't love you because she prefers girls to guys. But I'm free."

"There is nothing about you that is free." Why do I feel like he just stabbed me with his bokken?

"Forget about those two. They'll never be yours. You should realize that. I could be yours, though."

"You just want to get your hands on the vast wealth that is the Kuno estate." He just twisted the bokken.

"Really, would I do that? I love making money. Getting money that way isn't my style, you know that. Come on Kuno-chan, let go of your loves, and take me out on a date. I'll even pay." I'm saying this so seductively, I want to vomit. I hate showing any kind of emotion in public. Fake or not.

"Ha! I shall never date you, for I see through your tricks. Saotome has paid you off in an attempt to keep me from my loves," Kuno accuses.

I slap him.

I feel like he's killed me. Rejected by Kuno of all people. This arrogant bastard thinks he'll get away with that?! That perverted jerk lives so far into his own dream word that he refuses to see the real world. Can't that idiot see I'm attracted to him where his 'two loves' would sooner have sex with Gosunkugi than him?

I shake my head. Since when am I attracted to Kuno? It'd be a cold day in hell before he could turn me on.

I walk off, furious. I have to fight back from crying. I must stay in control. Why am I acting this way? Why should I care if Kuno rejects me? I can get any guy I want to date me. Make them date me, make them notice me. To see me and not my sister or her husband. Why should I give a damn if one egotistical pervert refuses to see me?

Walking into the bathroom, I look into a bathroom mirror. I see that I look like a mess, that I'm on the verge of tears. Damn you, Kuno. You will not get away with this.

I straighten up, take a breath, and regain my composure. Make it look like Kuno had no effect on me. I am Tendo Nabiki, and I am always in control. People bow before me for I am true power. If they do not bow, I shall break them. Kuno has refused to bow, so now I must break him. No one has rejected me before, and he will pay for it dearly.

I walk out of the bathroom, and head to the school's office. Once there, I pick up a phone and call home without asking. The secretary doesn't say anything. She knows better.

"Hello?" Kasumi answers from the other end.

"Hi, Kasumi. Tell Akane that I've failed to properly handle Kuno. Expect him to arrive in about half-an-hour. He will be very angry."

"I'll tell her," my sister replies.

"Thanks. See you later, Sis." I hang up the phone, and turn to the secretary. "I'll need to make an announcement on the PA about Ranma and Akane after school starts."

The secretary nods. She knows better than to question me.

I sit in the office and wait for the bell. I want to spread this around in a way that would make money, but I can't. They need to be all told at once to prevent the rumor horde from mangling the facts. They need to know that when Ranma returns that they can't bug him about anything.

It also adds the nice touch of giving the information impartially to Kuno. That no one treated him above another in informing him. Besides, I don't want to be anywhere near him when he finds out.

Finally, the bell rings. Time to get this over with. Flicking the PA system on, I begin, "Good morning. I think you all know who I am. As you may have noticed Ranma and Akane have not been to school this week. There are two reasons for this. One of them is that Ranma's parents died last Sunday. He has taken it rather badly. The other reason is that shortly before his parents died, Ranma married Akane."

The school erupts in noise. The sound of a wall breaking tells me Kuno is off to face Ranma. I pray that neither of those two idiots die from this.

I wait for the school to calm down so I can continue. "The death of Ranma's parents has made Ranma's and Akane's honeymoon rather bittersweet. Ranma and Akane will return to school Monday. I will not tolerate anyone asking Ranma or Akane about the wedding, Ranma's parents' death, or the honeymoon. Anyone who so much as asks one question will make me very angry at them."

I switch off the PA system. That won't stop all of them, but it should reduce it to a level Ranma can stand.

I could now make a mint off information on the 'honeymoon.' That they stayed home, that Akane is a screamer, and several other tidbits of information would make me money easily. I can't, because I don't know how Ranma would react.

I walk to my classroom. I'm at the door Kuno made. I hope Akane makes him hurt, makes him suffer. The ball is in her court now. She has to make Kuno realize that she loves Ranma. To crush his spirit and his love. I really want to see that. There is no way I would make it there before it ends. All I can do is find out what happened after the fact.

My class starts mobbing me with questions. Several of them are waving money in my face. It'd be so easy to accept it. To take the money and tell them. I could make money for just saying a little bit of information. I could take all there money and give confirmation that Ranma and Akane are not virgins.

Would Ranma get upset if I did that? I mean this isn't exactly Earth shattering information. It's no big deal that a married couple had sex.

They continue to pester me, throwing even more money toward me.

All this money, and all I have to do is say a couple words. To tell them things that would be true. Things they might find out later.

Yet more money is flung into my face. They're trying to buy the information from me. Trying to buy me. Like I could be bought. Like I care more for money than myself and my family.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" I scream. Where the hell did that come from? This mess is affecting me worse than I thought.

I quickly regain my composure and say calmly, "I will not answer any questions concerning Ranma or Akane." I will not be bought. I will not betray Akane or even Ranma.

I sit down at my desk, and ignore everybody.

The teacher is having a hard time controlling the students. There isn't going to be much schooling done today. I could get the class under control. Let the teacher teach. I won't unless he pays me. I can make money on this. I can control this, because I am Tendo Nabiki.

I am power.

I am alone.

It's lonely at the top. I have power. I can have anyone do as I want. Not because they want to, but because I made them. But what does power give me? The ability to control. If I were to go through the level of emotional trauma Ranma has, would someone come and give me the strength to live as Akane has for Ranma? No, there is no one.

I face the world alone. I used to be content with this, preferred this. Now... now I'm not sure facing the world without love is a good idea. Love can give strength where money does not. Sure love can hurt. The death of a loved one REALLY hurts. I know this better than most. What I can lose to love must be compared to the gains. Love can bring life. Ranma is alive and getting better because of love, where otherwise he'd be ashes in a jar now. Money could not save him, only love.

There is no one to save me, for I stand alone. Alone without love.

* * *

*Kuno*

* * *

My mind troubles me so. Why did Tendo Nabiki act in such a peculiar fashion? Did she act that way for I saw through her ruse? Or did she really mean it? That she truly wanted to date with me?

Ha! She is in love with money and nothing more. She knows not of true love. The love I have for Tendo Akane and the pig-tailed girl.

Hark, the bell rings. Yet, Tendo Nabiki is still absent. This is most unlike her. Why is it that she is not here? Tis her loss.

I hear Tendo Nabiki on the public address system, "Good morning. I think you all know who I am. As you may have noticed Ranma and Akane have not been to school this week." Yes, and it pains my heart to not see my goddess of the hunt. "There are two reasons for this. One of them is that Ranma's parents died last Sunday. He has taken it rather badly." Feh! Regrettable, perhaps, that such an event take place, but that cursed Saotome should feel pain. I hold no pity for him. "The other reason is that shortly before his parents died, Ranma married Akane."

"WHAT?! This is an outrage! Saotome dares to take fair Akane's hand in marriage! I SHALL NOT STAND FOR THIS!" My rage is pure. My vengeance is just. I shall make Ranma pay for his impertinence. He will not get away with this.

No obstacles shall impede my wrath. No wall, no weapon, nothing shall stop me from saving Akane. I run for the home of my love, where Saotome, no doubt, is taking unjust liberties with her. Forcing her to... I can't think of such evils. I shall make him pay. I shall kill him.

Ah! My love awaits me to free her. She is by the gate awaiting for me, her champion, to free her from the vile cretin's grasp! I run to her. "Tendo Akane! I shall save you from your loveless marriage!"

My love carries me aloft by her own hands. "Oof!" I forgive my love for overestimating her strength and for not being able to prevent me from falling heavily upon the ground.

Her hand is lovingly at my neck. I shall endure her ignorance that the placement is causing my shirt to restrict my breath.

"Kuno-sempai," she says with her loving fierceness. "Let me make this absolutely clear to you. It was my decision that I married Ranma. I proposed to him. I love him. He is my husband and he shares my bed, because it is my choice to. I will not tolerate you interfering in my life, and I most definitely won't stand for you interfering with my husband's. End your delusional pursuit of me and the pig-tailed girl. If you don't, I'll have to hurt you severely."

"It pains me to see how Saotome makes you lie so." The rush of air whips past my ears and I find myself at the wall of my love's home.

"I am not lying. And his name is Tendo Ranma now. It is disgraceful to pursue a married woman. If you give a damn about honor, you will stop chasing me!" Her fiery eyes speak of love for me.

"I cannot! Honor demands that I protect you!"

"The only person I need protection from is you. I swear on the graves of my ancestors that if you do not stop interfering with Ranma's, the pig-tailed girl's, or my life, I will send you to the hospital," she promises fiercely.

Such a strong and noble oath. But how can I let her, my love, remain under the vile sorcerer's control? I must keep her safe until such time as I can free her.

"My love, I shall free you..."

My words can say no more for the furious actions of my love carry out the oath Saotome no doubt has forced her to say. I forgive her for this, for it is not of her own will.

* * *

I awake, as promised, in the hospital. Such fierceness my love has. I respect her and her power.

Oh, someone stands by the window. Perhaps one of my loves wish to comfort me.

"Hello, Kuno-chan." Sigh. It's only Nabiki. "Do you understand yet?"

"Yes, the vile Saotome has taken control of Akane's mind and bought you off."

She-she slapped me! Again! Yet her face shows of pain. What thoughts lurk in her mind?

"Listen here, Kuno Tatewaki. There is no more Saotome. Ranma is now a Tendo. He has married my sister out of the love they share. And do you know how much money I've made from the marriage? None. I haven't made a single yen. I've even lost money," she hisses out.

"Your lies are ill becoming you."

"Have you ever known me to lie? Have I ever said anything that was not true? Sure I've withheld information, but I've never lied. If I say Akane loves Ranma, Akane loves Ranma. And you damn well know I'd never say I lost money if it wasn't true," she presses.

She has never lied before today but... "I cannot, shall not believe what you say! My loves love me! How can they not?"

"Because you are an arrogant, egotistical, self-centered, pompous, foolish, stupid, idiotic, blind, perverted, jerk that can't deal with reality. You have to understand that Akane doesn't love you, she loves Ranma. And the pig-tailed girl doesn't love you either. If you ever stopped living in your own little dream world, you would see that you have no hope of marrying either of your 'loves,'" Nabiki rants.

Her words sting like another slap. How is it she can't see Ranma's evil influence? Perhaps she has fallen victim to it as well. Now I must free her as well. But if she is under Ranma's control, why is it she wanted to date me and not him? Is it part of Ranma's evil plan?

"Tendo Nabiki, was it truly your intent to date with me?"

She scowls at me. "Until you take off your rose color glasses and see the world as it is, you will never know." Once said, she leaves me to ponder her words.

Is it as she says? That I am deceiving myself? That my loves don't love me? This cannot be true. My love is true and just! How can they not love me? How?

A fair nurse enters and gives me pills to handle the pain my love's fists has caused me. The pills let me sleep though my thoughts trouble me so.

* * *

Author's Note:

In case you didn't noticed Akane seems to speak in more Kuno-esque style than normal when the story is from his perspective, since this is Kuno's interpretation of things.

Thanks to all of you who sent me C&C on this series.


	7. Different Eyes

**Rejected**

**Part 7 - Saturday - Different Eyes**

_By Lord Archive_

This is darker than any canon Ranma 1/2 story. If you want Takahashi styled humor, you will not find it here.

This is a complete ten-part series and will be posted in full.

Ranma 1/2 characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi and Shogakukan and are used without permission.

* * *

I shall, once again, attempt to free my love from the accursed marriage she has found herself in. It pains me to know, by her own words, that Saotome has indeed taken liberties with her body. Forced her to share his bed. He shall face the true wrath of the Blue Thunder for his crimes.

I do not go home after leaving the hospital, for there is no time to lose. I must free Tendo Akane now!

I stride past the gate and into the very domain of my foe and of my love. This day Akane shall be free. Only death shall stop me from my goal.

Ah! At last I've found the villain. "Saotome Ranma, you vile beast! How dare you take Tendo Akane's hand in marriage? I SHALL KILL YOU!" I strike an awe-inspiring pose.

He looks to me with eyes that already speak of his defeat at my hands. "I dare because she gave it to me. She gives me her love, where you only get to dream about it."

He dares speak to me with such contempt! "Saotome, you are not even worthy to be called a man let alone..."

My senses must have blackened out since fair Akane now stands above me in all her fury. Her body absolutely glowing with power. "Kuno you stupid piece of shit, if you ever say that again, I WILL KILL YOU! Ranma is a thousand times the man you are!" Her words of anger are like that of a rabid wolf. It pains me to see how Saotome's spell afflicts her.

"Now Akane," the vile one speaks, "Kuno-sempai only said what is true." He takes a step back into the koi pond.

My other love appears and the vile sorcerer is gone! Can it be that I have won? That my loves are free?

"How can I be a man if I have a body like this?" My love doth speak in riddles.

"Tendo Ranma!" Akane shouts angrily. "That body isn't your true body! You're a man! Your spirit doesn't change because of that body you've been cursed with!"

Is my love, Tendo Akane, delusional? Can she not see that is the pig-tailed girl and not Ranma who stands before her? And what is this other nonsense she speaks of?

"Come on, Akane? Do I really look like I'm your husband with this body? I turn the heads of more guys than you ever could. I've got a body any man would want." True, what glorious beauty she has.

"So magic has given you a body of a girl that's better looking than mine, so what? Your male body turns the heads of even more girls. Besides, the spirit of the man I love is still in there. You are a man, my husband, and my love, no matter what you look like." Magic? Body of a girl? What does Akane mean by this? Has she truly gone mad?

"NO!" the pig-tailed girl screamed. "I'm not a man! How can I be a man if my own mother didn't think so? How can I be a man if I have periods? If I have a woman's body? Real men don't know women's needs or women's problems, but I do!" Yet more riddles? She is a women, and yet she wants her mother to believe she is a man?

Akane was taken aback by the vociferous outburst. "R-Ranma... You're a man to me. Your mother only knew you for a day. She didn't try to get to know you. All she ever saw was that body. So what if you have periods and know things only women do. I don't think it makes you less of a man. It makes you more of one. All a woman ever wants is a man that understands them, and you can do that more than any other man."

Akane approaches the pig-tailed girl. "I love you, Ranma. You are everything to me. Knowing that you are my man is more important to me than breathing. Your mother didn't think you're a man, because she didn't know you. But I do know you and I know you're a man. The man I love."

A-Akane is kissing the pig-tailed girl. She calls the pig-tailed girl Ranma. What madness is this? Has the spells of Saotome corrupted their minds?

"Well, Kuno-chan, I suppose you want to know what that was about, right?" the cold Tendo Nabiki asks me.

"Yes. I wish to know what madness this is that would cause Akane to see the pig-tailed girl as Ranma."

Nabiki looks amused. "The person you believe to be the pig-tailed girl is Tendo Ranma. A couple weeks before he first arrived here, Ranma and his father went to the cursed training grounds, Jusenkyo. They didn't know, until after they fell into one of the springs, that whoever fell in took the body of whatever drowned there. In Ranma's case, it was Nyannichuan, cursed spring of drowned young girl. His father turned into the panda you saw around here."

"You expect me to believe such fallacy?"

"Kuno-chan, you are being really stupid. How much proof do you want? Ranma transformed before your eyes. Akane argued with the pig-tailed girl about her being a man. What would it take you to believe it? To be cursed yourself?"

"Such magic does not exist!"

Nabiki scowls at me, fiercely. "Oh, but mind control magic does? Kuno, really, there is more than enough evidence that Ranma is the pig-tailed girl and that Akane loves him. Get it through that thick skull of yours."

"I will not believe that! These are lies and I shall prove them as such!"

Nabiki glares at me with a look that would freeze the blood of lesser men. "If you want more proof that I'm telling the truth, follow me."

Her look and tone tell me if I do not follow, she will cause great financial woe to the Kuno estate, for that is how Nabiki exacts pain. "I shall, but I doubt there is such proof."

Nabiki leads me away. While I fear for my loves, I don't know what action to take without the cursed Saotome present.

* * *

Nabiki leads me to the den of one of the sorcerer's concubines, the Neko-Hanten. Oddly, it is closed on this glorious Saturday, a day it should be open and brisk with business.

"Hello, Shampoo," Nabiki greets as the Amazon opens the door.

Shampoo looks as if she is in mourning. "Nihao, Nabiki. What want?"

"Sorry about disturbing you. Kuno is having a hard time believing Ranma and Akane are really married and about the Jusenkyo curse. I want to make it absolutely clear to him, so he won't try to go after Ranma again."

The purple haired minx glares at me. "Want Shampoo turn cat?" What does she mean by that?

"I was hoping you had some instant Jusenkyo, particularly Nyannichuan." Nabiki's words turn cold as the arctic winds, "I want him to know exactly what it feels like after he said to Ranma he wasn't worthy to be called a man."

Shampoo stares at me in shock, then anger most vicious, and now grins at me like a ferocious, evil tigress. "Oh, think Great-grandmother left that. Shampoo go check." Her words are filled with venom.

Why do I suddenly have a bad feeling about all this? That I really should be somewhere else. But I stand firm, fears are for lesser men.

Moments pass and my patience grows thin. I must free my loves.

Shampoo shouts from a second story window. "No instant girl spring, but got some from instant wolf spring."

"Hmm... even better." Nabiki grins like the Cheshire Cat.

A moment passes and the purple haired Amazon appeared at the door with a bucket of water. Nabiki steps away as the contents of the bucket soak my personage.

I feel... strange... changed... weird.

My senses warp. I no longer see colors, just black and white. I smell... everything, and hear.. everything.

My clothes, somehow, no longer properly fit.

I'm standing on all fours?!

What madness is this? I... I'm a wolf?!

Nabiki crouches down in front of me. "You see now, K-Chan? Jusenkyo magic does exist. We have used a temporary form on you. It will wear off soon enough."

How can you do this to me? This is sorcery most vile! I am no longer human. I'm not a man, but a base creature. There is nothing more evil than this.

Nabiki moves to remove my clothes. She dare do that! I snap at her, fighting to keep my dignity.

"K-Chan, stop that. You're a wolf for now. I won't tell you how to turn back unless you do as I say," Nabiki orders harshly.

I relent. What else can I do? For I know not of how to lift this curse. I will see that she pays for this.

She removes my clothes to my embarrassment. I am nude for the world to see.

"K-Chan look cute!" The Amazon sorceress giggles in delight of my shame.

K-Chan indeed. Such a lousy name for one as great as I.

"Thanks for the help, Shampoo," Nabiki says.

"No problem. Kuno hurt Ranma, so I hurt Kuno. Is fair." Shampoo's demeanor becomes sad. "How is Ranma?"

"I'm not sure what harm Kuno's outburst did, but the true test comes Monday when he returns to school. Until then, I can't be to sure," Nabiki remarks.

Shampoo nods slightly. "Oh. If Ranma need Shampoo's help, no hesitate to call."

"We won't, and thanks again." Nabiki turns to me. "Come on K-chan. Let's go back to my home and you'll be able to see how much Akane is in love with Ranma without you opening that big mouth of yours."

I growl at her, but follow anyway, for she knows of my cure. And she has my clothes.

This body I am cursed with may come with advantages, but it is not my body. It is not who I am. I am Kuno Tatewaki, and I shall be a man again!

I am in control of what I do. I see with a wolf's eyes, but think with a man's mind. The sensations I feel are strange and aren't mine. How could anyone live like this? I do not know. The feelings are foreign, they are and are not part of me. I cannot comprehend what I really feel.

Nabiki now speaks to me, "Now K-Chan, a few ground rules. One, you will not attack Ranma. People might think you're rabid, or something, and kill you. You'd be buried as you are and no one, but me, would know you died." I shudder at the thought. I must restrain myself if I'm ever to be a man again.

"Two, you will behave yourself. You will watch them and not interfere." I will not stand by and watch him work his evils.

"The better behaved you are the sooner I lift the curse." Grr... Fine.

"Three, remember, you are a dog, behave as such." Do I have much choice in this?

"Do you believe yet that Ranma is the pig-tailed girl?" Nabiki questions.

I shake my head, because that is a lie, for she is my love!

"You have a better sense of smell in that form, right? You can tell the difference in people by how they smell."

I nod. My own experience with dogs, and how good my sense of smell is now, tell me this is true.

"Then four, you will get a good scent of Ranma as both forms. If his smell doesn't differ too much, then you'll know both are Ranma."

Such should prove that I am the right, that they are not the same.

We arrive at the Tendo home. Nabiki leads me inside and gives me one last warning to behave.

Where are my loves? I shall find a means to aid them, to free them.

Hark! I hear the fair Akane from upstairs. She is making strange noises. She screams! I must save her! I growl and move to save my love.

"K-Chan SIT!" Nabiki commands forcefully.

I snarl at her. Does she not hear her sister scream?

"Akane is in no danger, so sit!"

But... my love...

"Sit or you'll stay that way," Nabiki hisses with eyes that will take no protest.

Love or my manhood? I can move to save her, but then I may never be able to love her as a man. Regretfully she must endure whatever torture Saotome is putting her through, for I shall eventually free her and love her as a man! For now... I sit.

The gentle Kasumi now approaches. "Cute! A wolf." She smiles gently, and pats me on the head. I could get used to that.

Kasumi looks at Nabiki and says in tone of voice colder than I've ever heard from her, "Have you handled Kuno yet?"

"Work in process. Hopefully everything will be settled with him by tonight."

Tonight? All I have to do is put up with this and I shall be human again tonight.

Akane screams again. I must... but I can't. Oh, Nabiki, you shall pay dearly.

Kasumi sighs. "I do wish they'd be quieter when they make love." Make love? Akane is with Ranma and you let them... I will see you all pay!

"With Ranma's curse, he knows how to pleasure a girl. He could make anyone a screamer," Nabiki smirks. She's enjoying my discomfort.

Kasumi shrugs. "Guess you're right about that. No wonder so many girls were after him."

Nabiki stares at Kasumi oddly. "Ah... yeah."

* * *

I wait in the dining room. It has been an hour since I got here, and only a half-hour since they... stopped. Oh, what tortures she goes through, and her family does nothing. They all shall pay for their crimes.

Finally, I hear a pair of foot falls on the stairs. My love has left the room of her pain. Akane stops at the door to the dinning room, while the vile Saotome continues on.

"How is he?" Nabiki asks.

"He didn't take Kuno's comment well. I want to make Kuno pay for saying that." Akane's fist shakes angrily. Oh, how the spell afflicts her so.

Akane sighs and leans against the door. "Though it was nice how Ranma 'proved' he was a man after that." My love has an odd look of happiness and sadness at the same time.

"I'm sure it was. You were disturbing K-Chan, here, with the noises you were making." Nabiki pets me.

"I was?" I think Akane is blushing as her face takes another shade of gray. "Oh, what a cute dog, Nabiki."

"Certainly is." Nabiki scratches me behind the ear. That's what it feels like?! No wonder dogs like that. "I'm keeping an eye on him for a friend. Hopefully he'll pick him up tonight, tomorrow at the latest."

Tomorrow? You shall make me a... Oh, I really like how she is scratching me now.

Ranma returns. "Akane, do you know where the aspirins are? The medicine cabinet is empty."

Akane nods, and calls out, "Kasumi, can you get some aspirins for Ranma?" I hear Kasumi give an affirmative answer.

"Why is the medicine cabinet empty?" Ranma asks in a cold tone.

"Well, um," Akane say nervously, "We were worried you might... try to kill yourself." The vile Saotome is suicidal?!

Ranma scowls. "Come on, Akane, do you really think I'd do that?"

"Ranma, we're worried about you. You've taken your parents' death really hard. I don't want to lose you because you couldn't take the pain anymore. While I doubt you would try it that way... we didn't want to take any chances. Besides, we have to be careful with Daddy, too. Your father was his best friend, and he's been over-emotional ever since Mom died."

Ranma shakes his head. "I appreciate the concern, but you don't have to be THAT concerned."

"I can't help being that concerned. I love you and I couldn't go on living without you." She touches him with such gentleness I have never known. She is kissing him. This sight sickens me so.

Kasumi gives Ranma the aspirins. They then sit at the table and watch the television. They sit together so closely you'd think they weren't two different people.

Nabiki controls me. She does so not with words, but by scratching my head. I wonder if people would scratch their dogs if they knew it had the kind of effect it has.

I continue to watch them. They behave not as I know them. They do not argue. No insults said.

Yet I continue to watch. Waiting for him to show his evils. Waiting to be proven true.

Damn it! Do something wrong! Be the evil man I know you to be!

Still I watch. He still has yet to do wrong. How can evil, such as he, lie in wait?

Time continues on, and Ranma and Akane have shown to speak to each other without speaking. Such is truly sickening, for how can this be true?

It's been hours and still nothing.

I can see a visible, almost tangible, closeness existing between them. This is wrong. Akane cannot love him so. How can she love him? He is evil! Evil, I say! DON'T LOVE HIM!

She... she does love him. By all that is holy, she loves him. A spell may have brought that love, but that love exists. To break such love would break her, would kill her.

I lay by Nabiki like a wounded animal. My goddess of the hunt is in love with another, to a man of evil. I can do nothing for now... perhaps never.

But what of the pig-tailed girl? She is nowhere to be seen. I can yet free her.

Why is it that I feel, now, that I shall be proven wrong in this as well? That Ranma is the pig-tailed girl.

It is now time for supper, and like all dogs, I sit watching them. I do not do so for food, though I am hungry. I do not do so to play the act of being a dog, though I do take the food Nabiki offers. She enjoys that too much. I do so to see that he is evil. Perhaps I can find how he works his evils. Find a means to unravel them.

Nabiki makes a deliberate move to 'accidentally' knock over a glass of water. It's contents finds itself on Ranma. Now my pig-tailed love sits in his place. Nabiki apologizes for her 'mistake.'

I smell her scent. It moves across my senses. Smells like... Ranma. But there are subtle, small differences. The pig-tailed girls scent has something different to it... something that is similar to the other girls in the room. It is the scent of a woman, but the remainder of the scent is Ranma's.

Ranma truly is the pig-tailed girl! Oh what bitter ironies?! The loves of my life have married each other. Shakespeare would love such a concept.

I walk from the table. My loves are not in love with me, and one is a man. I want to vomit at the thought. While it is said by some of my ancestors, the truest love is between men, comrades in arms, I want only the love of a woman.

I look into the koi pond. Stare at the reflection of the wolf that I now am. Maybe I would be better this way. Wolves care not for love. Their hearts are not torn asunder by the loss of love.

The water is clear and placid, while in sharp contrast, my heart and mind is clouded and in turmoil. The water seems to beckon me. Yearn to me. Call to me. I could drown out my sorrows in this pool, and forget the heartache of lost love.

Water... Ranma has changed form with water! I can return to a man with water! I jump in without another thought.

Damn it! I'm still a wolf. Will I ever be a man?

"What's with the dog?" Akane asks.

"Like I'd know. I'm only watching him," Nabiki said, amusement clear in her voice.

I crawl out of the koi pond. I rest to the side of it. My mind is a turning sea of thoughts.

I look at my loves... No, they are not my loves. They have never been my loves. They are beauty which one yearns for, but that is not love. Never were my loves... and never shall be my loves.

But what evils that Ranma has wrought? Should I not help fight against his evil? The evil that he's done to... No, that was a delusion. How could he rape himself as I thought? What about the numerous girls that chase him... Yes, chase him, for he runs. He does not want them.

I think about my life now, and see it not as I had, but see it as if I wear new eyes. I ignore what I felt then, seeing things as I wanted them to be, since I now see them as they really are.

My world is shattered. All that I knew was a lie. A lie I told unto myself, as I refused to see reality. Refused to see things as they are, preferring to see things as I chose.

I am nothing but a lie.

I am a lie.

I am false.

I am nothing.

After they complete supper, Nabiki approaches me. She sits on a rock, next to where I now lay. She speaks to me in a soft, low voice, "Do you understand now? That Ranma and Akane love each other? That Ranma is the pig-tailed girl?"

I nod sadly to her in response to her questions. For now I see the truth I have denied myself.

Nabiki nods. "Come on. I'll give you a nice warm bath. That'll change you back."

Warm bath? So it is the temperature of the water that triggers the change.

I follow her to the bathing room. My clothes are already in there. After I enter, she shuts the door behind me. I hop into the furo's warm water. I feel the change occur. YES! I am a man again! I am whole!

I quickly dry myself with a towel and get dressed. I exit the bath, striding past Nabiki. There is something I must do.

I return to the dinning room, where Ranma and Akane are. They look to me with anger and hate. Yes, hate and not the love I had thought it was. How I've been blind.

I kneel before them. "Tendo Akane, Tendo Ranma," I begin, "I, Kuno Tatewaki, apologize. I have acted wrongly towards you. I am the one who has acted shamefully. I am the one who is not truly a man. Ranma, you are truly a man. I see this now. I am sorry for what I've done."

They stare at me in shock and surprise. The look on Ranma's female face is priceless.

"I do not expect that you shall ever forgive me, but know this, for as long as the Kuno clan exists it shall be in service to the Tendo clan whenever it is in need."

I bow low to them, for they are the right, the superior. I have always thought superiority came from my breeding, through wealth. This is not the case. Superiority comes from the person, from within. I am not superior, for I know not what is within me, nor do I know that which is on the outside. I am lost, but I shall find my way.

"Darn, and here I thought you were about to give me a blank check, K-Chan," Nabiki smirks. I am not that stupid anymore... I think.

"K-Chan?" Akane squeaks.

I sigh. "Nabiki thought I should pay for my ignorance and reluctance to see the truth by having the Amazon temporarily turn me into the wolf."

"You were K-Chan?" Akane stares at me in disbelief.

I nod. "It has been a sobering experience to say the least. But I have found it to be... enlightening. I refused to see the world through my eyes, so I had to see the world through a wolf's eyes. My vision may have been black and white, but for the first time, in a long time, I have truly seen."

"So now you know what it's like," Ranma says.

"Yes. For while I spent most of the day not as a man, I am a better man for it. Again, I am truly sorry for my actions." I stand up. "Ranma, if you are not a man, then no one can claim to be. For while you may have that body, you have proven to truly be a man amongst men."

I bow once more, and leave. Nabiki follows me to the door.

"Nabiki, I wish to thank you. You have opened my eyes, forced me to take off my rose-colored glasses, if you will. I can never repay you for that service. Still, I ask if I ever refuse to see reality for what it is, you will make me see it."

Nabiki gives me a wry grin, "Oh, I'll give you a nice kick in the ass if you ever get out of line again. One thing before you go, do you think you can handle your sister?"

"I shall," I nod. "Um, am I no longer cursed?"

"It was a one-shot use. You don't need to fear water as Ranma does," Nabiki informs.

I sigh with relief. With a bow, I say, "I shall see you later."

"Goodbye, K-Chan," she teases.

I growl at the name. I think that only encouraged her.

I walk from the home of my loves, knowing they are out of my reach. My heart does not ache as it would if I had truly loved them. I know now it was only infatuation. That I wanted them for their beauty.

They say it is better to have loved and lost, than to never have loved at all. I don't know this to be true, for I have never known love. Not love even from my parents or from my sibling. Love is unknown to me. To be a full man I must find love, but I know not where to begin to look. I do not want to live life without love, for that would be a waste of my life. I'd have done nothing, been nothing, worth nothing.

I look at my hands. My manly hands. I never want to go through such experience again. To be not as you are, but something else. A creature whose form is unknown and yet known to you, for you are that creature.

To not be a man. To fear that you shall never be a man again. That you'll spend the rest of your life as something you were not born to be. How Ranma has lived with that curse, I shall never know. Never want to know.

A truck splashes me with water. Where once I'd curse the indignity, but now I am happy. I am still a man.

I arrive at my home. I walk to my room, only to hear the insane laughter of my twisted sister. It sounds far worse now than I've ever heard before. She must know of Ranma's wedding then. I must face her, prevent her from working against the Tendo family as I've promised.

I move towards her green house. Her laughter grates on my nerves. I want to run, for I fear my sister. She is an alchemist and may have concocted an evil brew to bring down one of the Tendo. I must stop her, though she might use it on me. I must stand against my fear.

"Dear sister, what is it you are doing?" I ask as if I didn't know.

"Why, I'm going to get my darling Ranma-sama away from that wretched Tendo girl," Kodachi speaks fiercely.

"Then you seek to destroy Ranma? For if you take him a way from Akane, he is nothing. He would be destroyed."

Kodachi blinks at me. "What nonsense do you speak of, brother dearest."

"I speak of love most pure. Love we have never known. Ranma and Akane love each other to degrees I did not know existed."

"So you have given up on Akane to Ranma? You let your love slip through your fingers. I shall not! I love Ranma and nothing will stop me from saving him from that vile marriage he's in." My sister is, indeed, not well in the mind as I was.

"I cannot let you do harm to them." I move to the ready.

"You dare stand in my way? I thought you hated Ranma." She steps back, ready to strike like a snake.

"Oh, I was deluded as you still are. I have had my eyes opened."

"Then I shall close them!" And she strikes.

We fight each other, though I wish no harm to my sister. She would bring more harm if I do not fight her.

We exchange blows. She has cut me. Toxins are now in my system. I hope they are her usual brand of paralysis poison, for which I'm immune to. I see by the look on her face that it is so.

We continue to fight on. Our battle rages through the grounds of the Kuno estate.

A trap! Gases engulf me. I stagger to the pool, and fall in.

I quickly get out of the pool. My sister's pet would likely find me a tasty snack.

What devilment is this?

My sister laughs. "I did not think my gases could do that! I must make more of it." She leaps away, laughing her insane laugh. It hurts my senses now more than ever.

Slowly, reluctantly, I move to the pool's edge.

I look at my reflection.

no.

No.

NO!

"HHHOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWLLL LLLLLLL!" I scream into the night.

* * *

Author's note:

Evil can be fun ;)

In case you didn't noticed Akane and the 'pig-tailed girl' speak in more Kuno-esque style than normal when the story is from his perspective, since this is Kuno's interpretation of things.

Thanks to all of you who sent me C&C on this series.


	8. Insane Desires

**Rejected**

**Part 8 - Second Sunday - Insane Desires**

_By Lord Archive_

This is darker than any canon Ranma 1/2 story. If you want Takahashi styled humor, you will not find it here.

This is a complete ten-part series and will be posted in full.

Ranma 1/2 characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi and Shogakukan and are used without permission.

* * *

At last I am ready. Today my dream will come true, I will be with my love.

I sigh, preparing for my mission to free my love from the horrid marriage he has found himself in. My toxin proved to be ineffective, so I have to try a new batch. My gas had an effect I did not expect was possible. Too bad brother-dearest was the first victim of it, but someone had to be my guinea pig.

I wonder what I should do with him now. Buy him a flea collar? I laugh wonderfully at my joke. Soon Ranma-sama will laugh with me.

I wish I had more time to study how I turned my brother into a dog, but there is no time to waste. That wretched Tendo girl has corrupted Ranma-sama. She dare even make him take her name. I would have gladly taken his name even though custom dictates otherwise.

Let's see, I've got spiked clubs coated with my new paralysis toxin, ribbon, bokken? How did that get there? I toss it to the side. And, gas filled balls. Oh, wait until the Tendo girl gets a breath of this. I laugh beautifully at the thought.

Hmm... a little after five a.m... perfect! I'll attack while they sleep. I could take the vile wretch in a fight, but why take the chance? I will free my darling Ranma-sama and nothing will stop me.

Exiting my green house, I see brother-dearest sits by the pond staring at his new face. I wonder if he'll stay there long enough for Midorigame to get hungry. I hope my little pet won't eat my brother... the poor dear would get indigestion.

I laugh for it is time to visit the home where Ranma-sama resides and set him free. Thoughts of how I'll soon be reacquainted with my love has me bounding across the roof tops.

Soon, oh so very soon, I shall free you, my darling Ranma-sama.

There is the bed chamber of the wretched girl that dares to take my love. Stealthily I enter and...

It's empty?! She is not here? Where can she be?

Grrrr... Of course. The vile girl must be in the bedchamber of my love. She must have corrupted his mind. I will free him though he is tainted.

I enter the hall and walk like a ninja towards my love's room. The sight of the wooden sign that has both their names inscribed on it makes me want to cry and vomit at the same time.

Carefully I open the door.

I shall never forget this horrid... horrid sight. The wretched girl lies upon my love without a trace of clothes. Forget turning her into a stupid dog, SHE DIES!

I approach like a tiger of the hunt. I do not make even the slightest sound. She will die for what she has done.

I raise a spike club, preparing to spill the worthless girl's lifeblood on my love to free him from whatever spell she has cast upon him.

I hear barking?! Brother-dearest dares to come to aid this girl! I must act quickly or...

My love moves like lightning. Before I'm aware Ranma-sama is awake he kicked my club from my hands and knocked me into the wall.

"Kodachi, get the hell out of my house!" my love says fiercely.

I don't care what causes him to say such things, all I care for is the sight in front of me. "Ranma-sama! You are truly a man!"

My love is far enough away from the wretched girl that has enslaved him. Now I can use the gas on her. I pull out one of the balls and throw it at her.

"What?!" My brother intercepts the ball. He dares play fetch! He sends the ball back to me.

"No!" The ball explodes and the gases enshroud me.

What have you done to me, my brother? You wish to turn me into the same vile creature you've become.

Choking on the gas, I see my brother standing between Ranma and the gas.

"Kuno? What the hell happened?" My love is able to tell that is my brother?

I can't breathe...

* * *

I awake to find myself bound by my own ribbon. Who ever did this shall pay! Unless this is a game of my darling Ranma-sama of course.

"I see you are awake," my brother says. He lifts me up into a kneeling position.

I stare at him. "How? I thought my gases turned you into a dog." He's wearing the white robes of that blind, Chinese waiter.

"I turn into a wolf, not a dog. As for you turning me into a wolf, you are partially at fault. Yesterday I was exposed to magic that turned me into the wolf. That would have been a temporary affliction, but it has somehow reacted with either your gas or your toxins, or possibly both, to potentially make it a permanent curse. For now, when splashed with cold water I shall take the body of a wolf, and hot water shall return me to a man." My brother's eyes speak of pain, sadness, and betrayal.

"What... how were you exposed to this magic?" If I find this out I can find the means to make it permanent and turn all that dares stand in my way into stupid dogs.

"It does not matter how it happened. Now Kodachi, would you be happy if the pig-tailed girl marries someone besides Ranma?" my brother asks with an odd smirk.

"You married her?!" I shall kill her. She will not taint my family bloodline.

My brother shakes his head. "No, but she has married."

"Then I'm happy for her." I don't care if she was forced to marry the troll that steals my undergarments, as long as she is out of the way, I'm happy.

"Would you avoid interfering with her relationship?" my brother presses.

"Of course." Why is he asking me this?

"Do you swear to not interfere?" he insists.

What is he getting at? Who cares as long as she does not interfere with my love and does not become part of the family. "I swear."

"Good." My brother now levels his gaze at me. "Now I shall tell you a little of the magic that affects me. The term used for my affliction is called Jusenkyo curse. I am now one of several who bears the curse. Not all of us turn into wolves. The pig-tailed girl is another person who is afflicted. Actually that is the curse form, she is really Ranma."

I laugh. "What sort of joke are you trying to play, brother-dearest? There is no way Ranma and that evil girl are the same person."

Tatewaki shakes his head. "But they are the same person. As I am now a wolf as well as a man."

"What foolishness is all of this? You think I'd ever believe that?"

My brother sighs. "I guess a demonstration is in order."

My brother picks me up and carries me from the dojo, where I was, to the dinning room.

I am greeted the angry glares of Akane and my beloved. Why does Ranma-sama glare at me so? Does he not see that I love him? That I'd do anything for him?

Nabiki is also in the room, but she looks strangely... meek. She spares a glance at us, and then stares at the table.

"Ranma, could you demonstrate your curse so my sister may come to believe it," Tatewaki requests.

My love grumbles. He picks up a glass of water and moves closer to me. Ranma-sama stares me into my eyes with such fierceness that I am overcome by my desire to bear his children. He flips the glass on top of his head.

My love shrinks?

Ranma-sama now has bosoms?

"Oh Ranma-sama, it must pain you to have such a horrible curse afflicted you. I'll still love and accept you even with your curse." Besides, imagine the added value in the bedroom when we can do it so many more positions!

"In case you haven't noticed, I already married the girl I love," Ranma retorts.

I'd slap him if I wasn't tied up at the moment. "How could you love that wretched peasant? She is completely worthless! Flee with me away from this horrid marriage you found yourself in."

"I'd sooner kill myself than be with you!" the girl spat out.

"How can you say that, my love?" Tears coming to my eyes.

"Because I don't love you. I don't even like you," Ranma derides.

"But, I love you. I can give you anything you want." I cry.

"The only thing I want is you out of my life," Ranma hisses.

"I'd do anything to be with you. Please don't keep me away!"

She turns away from me. "Kodachi, let me make it absolutely clear. There is nothing you could do that would make me want to be with you."

We belong together. If I have to kill every person on the planet, I'll make you understand that.

Ranma goes over and sits next to the wretched girl that married him, and she puts her arm around her... er, him.

"Now Kodachi, do not dishonor our family further with the pointless pursuit of Ranma. He will never return your love," my stupid brother pointlessly intones.

"Shut up, brother-dearest." I lean over and fall on the back of his knee.

My brother falls, face first, onto the table, which causes a glass of water to splash him. My brother is now that stupid looking dog again.

I see Nabiki look at my brother sadly and say, "I'm sorry."

My brother starts barking poetry.

"Kuno-sempai, use the signs we gave you," Akane says.

Out of nowhere, my brother pulls out a sign which reads, 'Tis not your fault.'

"But I..."

My brother flips the sign in his mouth. 'You did as you needed to do.' He flips it again and a new message is there. 'I would rather spend the rest of my life like this...' He flips the sign again, and yet another message is written on it. How does he do that? '...than spend another moment as I was.'

"Still, if I hadn't..." Nabiki trails off.

I glare daggers at the mercenary. So she is the one who has cursed my brother. I will see she pays dearly for what she did.

'The fault is more mine than yours,' the dog's sign reads.

Nabiki looks down and says, "I'm still sorry." She gathers what he was wearing and leads my brother out of the room.

I still remain on my side when they return moments later. My brother is now a man.

"Now Kodachi, do you promise not to attack them?" Tatewaki asks.

"I promise." To kill them.

My brother unties me and says, "Tis time we depart."

I follow my brother out of the miserable little house.

We are now a block away, and I take out my ribbon and attack him. I wrap the ribbon around him and smash him against a wall, repeatedly. He falls unconscious.

Now to return to deal with those evil Tendo girls.

I move to a position and wait. I watch them sitting in the dinning room. Akane will be a problem, since she is always near Ranma. Nabiki will be easy prey.

My patience grows thin. Ranma is still in the same room as both my targets. Finally my love and the wretched girl leave.

I strike! I wrap my ribbon around Nabiki and slam her into a wall. Unlike my brother, she is already unconscious from just the one blow. Damn bitch won't even get to feel the pain of dying. But she will die. I snap my ribbon again.

My brother comes to her rescue?! He cuts through the ribbon with a bokken and catches Nabiki.

"Why do you come to the rescue of that evil mercenary that cursed you?"

"In case you have forgotten, sister, you are the one who made it permanent. She only did it to teach me a lesson, a lesson which was to last a day. Thanks to you, I shall always bear the mark of my ignorance and delusions."

"I will not let her live for what she did!" I really need a weapon right now.

"What of your own culpability?" my brother stupidly asks.

"I've done nothing wrong!"

My brother looks at me strangely. "You attempt murder and made my curse permanent, and you've done nothing wrong?"

"Yes! There is nothing wrong with that. That mercenary and the wretched girl deserve to die!"

"What about cursing me?" he presses.

"She did that!"

"You made it permanent," he insists.

"So? It's her fault! She cursed you!"

My brother now looks at me sadly. "I'm sorry sister, but I see I have no other choice." He attacks me...

* * *

I awake to the sound of voices. I'm in a padded room and straight jacket?! Brother, what have you done to me?!

"You will see she gets proper treatment?" I hear my brother ask someone.

"Yes, she is in capable hands," an unfamiliar voice answers.

"I shall visit often," my brother informs.

"Of course. It is good to see that she has someone who loves her enough to get her the help she needs," the other voice replies.

My brother, my own brother, has committed me!? How dare he do this to me?! I will see he pays for this. I will kill him, the Tendo bitches, and anyone else who gets in my way.

I start laughing wonderfully.

"Dear gods, that laugh is enough to drive me insane," that voice badly jokes.

* * *

*Happosai*

* * *

Ah, I return home just after sunset. Such a wondrous vacation I had. It was truly fortunate that beauty contest was held in Tokyo. It saddens me that they canceled the lingerie portion, just because a few girls didn't have any.

Such a delight that lingerie was, too. Maybe I should have freed them after that portion of the contest.

I think I'll cry my sorrows away with some of Akane-chan's panties!

I prepare to sneak into her room... but I don't hear her panties calling to be free.

I enter and it's... empty. Where? Where is Akane-chan's stuff? Where is Akane-chan?

She isn't here! Where is my darling little Akane-chan? I must find her. Can't have the heir to Tendo School of Anything Goes Martial Arts disappear with all her panties.

"Akane-chan?! Akane-chan?!" I shout, leaving her room.

The door to Ranma's room opens and Akane exits? "Hello, Happosai. We were wondering when you'd get back."

I stare at Akane in shock. She's only wearing a robe, and I mean only. One quick tug and she's nude for the world to see. And she just exited Ranma's room?!

If it's possible, my eyes widen in shock even more. I can tell now that my dear sweet little Akane-chan isn't a virgin anymore. "Oh Akane-chan, what has befallen you?!"

I leap at her to give her a comforting hug...

"Just what do ya think ya doing, old freak?!" Ranma shouts angrily as he has snatched me out of the air just as I'm about to touch Akane.

"What have you done to poor lil' Akane-chan?" I tap his arm with my pipe and he flies through his room...

His room... which now has Akane-chan's stuff in it?!

I now find myself plastered to the business end of Akane's mallet. She stares at me coldly. "We have a lot to tell you, and don't you dare so much as turn Ranma into a girl or attempt to grope either of us." Her tone is as cold as the meat locker I accidentally hid in a while back.

"What has happened, my darling lil' Akane-chan?"

"We'll tell you in a minute. Wait down stairs." She then carried me over to the window, and threw me outside.

"Oh, master Happosai, you're back," Kasumi greeted me from the dinning room. She looks unusually... sad.

My curiosity is suddenly aroused as I don't see Genma. Soun is still there with the shogi board, playing as if Genma was there, but he isn't.

Something has happened. Something big, and I'm not talking about Akane sharing Ranma's bed. I realize Akane is upstairs getting dressed right now, but for some reason I don't feel like peeking in on her.

I go over and sit at the dining room table. I take the tea Kasumi offers. I should be gleeful just returning here, but there is a tangible aura of death here. I'm afraid my best student has died.

Ranma and Akane join me after getting dressed. I can see by Ranma's expression that he is extremely hurt. While Akane is leaning on him, it's clear that Ranma is the one being supported.

They sit down and without a word take the tea Kasumi offers them.

The cloud of morbid silence gets to me and I speak first, "So, Ranma-chan, what has happened here?"

Ranma closed his eyes. "A week ago mother came by for a visit. She found out about the curse and deemed me not to be a man. She was going to make us all commit seppuku, but Akane convinced Mom to let me live, if I married her and became a Tendo. This did not stop Mom from having Pop and herself commit seppuku."

I sit there, staring at them in stunned silence. His mother was here. That damned, over-honored bitch who took away my best student came back and killed him.

"Where? Where did Genma die?" I ask, barely restraining myself.

Ranma, Akane and Soun get up and lead me to the dojo. I don't have to ask where exactly they died since there are blood stains on the floor.

"Damn her! DAMN HER!" I start tossing Happo Dai Karins at the blood stains.

"STOP!" Ranma shouts grabbing in a bear hug. I'm unable to move. "Stop." Ranma starts crying.

"She killed him. She killed my best student. Damn her," I think that's what I'm saying.

Soun comes over and hugs us. We are all crying.

I'm not sure how long we remain like that.

As I start to regain control, I see Akane looking at us with concern and a little shock. I doubt she expected me to react like that.

After a little while, we all sit around the blood-stained and burnt floor.

"I knew Genma shouldn't have married your mother. She was too damned honorable. I think that's one of the reasons why he married her. She was everything he wasn't. She was everything he wanted to be, but couldn't."

"Pop wanted to be honorable?" Ranma asks. I'm a little surprised. If Genma were still alive Ranma would have made a joke about it, but his question wasn't a joke.

"Yes. He wanted to be honorable, but he had met her only after I spent years training him. He was already far too dishonorable to be truly happy with her, or her him. He was already to far set down the road of the true power of Anything Goes Martial Arts."

"What do you mean 'true power'?" Akane asks.

"As you know, I gain strength from touching women and women's things. I gain power from lust, one of the seven deadly sins. Genma approached the point where he would gain power from gluttony, since that is his greatest weakness, it was also going to be his greatest strength. I guess he realized that, and it scared him. He would become like me. So he did what he thought might save him. He decided to find and marry a woman that could control him, and possibly even redeem him. When he met Nodoka, she was everything he wanted. She was to help him find honor, and strangely enough they feel in love."

"I guess I know at least Pop loved her. He coulda run off at the end. He could've refused, but he didn't. He stayed and committed seppuku," Ranma said tearfully.

I nod. "Genma loved your mother, and she did love him. That damned woman killed my best student."

I sigh. "Ranma, your father was a much better martial artist than you think. He even developed two schools of techniques that were so dangerous and powerful he could have demolish the Tendo home and dojo in minutes. His desire for honor caused him to seal the techniques after the only person he taught them to died while practicing one of the moves."

They just stared at me, unable to come up with something to say.

"You do realize Genma saw you as the means to redeem himself. He thought he could become the honorable man he wanted to be, but constantly failed to be, if he could raise you and make you a man amongst men. If he did, it'd mean he wasn't a failure, that he had some honor."

"Pop put me through hell. I guess he tried to make me the greatest martial artist because he thought that would make me a man amongst men. I remember how he'd be so happy when I learned a new move or technique. I don't think I ever saw him happier than when I first truly defeated him."

Ranma chuckles lightly. "That was shortly after the Neko-ken training. I was so upset at him for what he did, I literally kicked his ass around the small village we were at. I'm sure it was funny to see a ten year old toss around his father like rag doll. Pop even fought back, but somehow I was partially in Neko-ken and I creamed him. After that, Pop moved from teaching me the power techniques to aerial and speed techniques. By the time I was twelve I as able to defeat him a fair amount of the time."

After a moment Soun starts talking, "Saotome was a good friend. We endured much hardship together, and overcame him... er... them." I'll ignore that. "We were closer than brothers. If it wasn't for him I'd have never met Akane's mother. I owe him so much, that I could never repay him." He starts crying beyond the point of speaking.

Akane decides to talk now, "I didn't get to know Uncle Saotome as well as I'd like to have. While he did have his bad points, he was a good man. I can never thank him enough for bringing Ranma into my life."

"I wish I got to know my mother," Ranma said sorrowfully. "I should at least be able to say something about her, ANYTHING about her... but all I can do is think 'Why? Why did she do it?'"

Akane hugs Ranma, letting him cry into her chest. Why can't she do that for me?

"Life is not fair, Ranma. Life just isn't fair," I say to him.

After a while they leave me alone in the dojo. I stare at the spot Genma died. I put so much work into making him what he was. It was all wasted.

I doubt I have many years left. I don't have much time to train a new student. I don't even have a student to train. Ranma would've been good, since his greatest weakness was his pride, but his mother shattered it when she rejected him. Akane wasn't that good considering her greatest weakness was envy, which was followed by pride. She would end up defeating herself. Now neither Ranma nor Akane can be used since their love for each other will prevent them from achieving the true power.

Love gets in the way of the true power. Love causes another to control you. I cannot, will not be controlled. Not by Cologne, not by anyone.

I sigh.

I'm going to have to find someone already on the road to the true power and train him.

I wish I could make Nodoka pay for what she did. Genma had been so close. He could've truly been my successor, but that damned woman took him.

What is the need of honor anyway? Honor does not get you what you want. Honor is a way for others to control you, make you do as they want. I have no need for honor.

* * *

Author's note:

Magic defies logic. If magic ever made perfect sense it would be called science instead. When dealing with something that somehow manages to destory and create matter, which goes against all laws of physics, figuring it out is beyond reasoning. How Kuno's temporary curse got stuck to him could be one of a thousand reasons from one of the speculations of Kodachi being at fault, his contact with Ranma, Jusenkyou water is being a cruel evil thing, or some other reason. With magic trying to figure out how it happened is often headache inducing. All that matters is it did happen.

Yes, Nabiki did help Kuno trick Kodachi into making that oath by going over what to say.

Thanks to Freemage, David Tatum, DreAshaman, and everyone who have sent me C&C on this series.


	9. Yang

**Rejected**

**Part 9 - Second Monday - Yang.**

_By Lord Archive_

This is darker than any canon Ranma 1/2 story. If you want Takahashi styled humor, you will not find it here.

This is a complete ten-part series and will be posted in full.

Ranma 1/2 characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi and Shogakukan and are used without permission.

* * *

I slowly wake to the world. I don't want to. I'd rather be asleep. While I sleep I don't feel pain. I don't feel nothin'.

Nothing is better than pain. That's about all I've felt in the past week, except love.

Odd, ain't it.

Here I want to curl up and die because I feel hurt, insecure, and unloved and yet I also feel so safe, secure, and loved at the same time too.

I guess I can thank Akane for feeling that way. She somehow helps keep the pain away. She makes me feel safe and even needed. She gives me more love than I ever thought possible.

Right now Akane makes me feel oddly comforted in a position that a mother holds her child. I'm in her arms and sucking on her breast. How's that for a pleasant thing to wake up to?!

Over a week ago I questioned if I'd ever get to kiss her for real. If I accidentally walked into the bath while she was in there, hell if she walked in on me, she'd beat the crap out of me. Now here I lay in OUR bed, sucking on her tit.

How can life be so good and so bad at the same time?

On the day I married Akane, I got to see my mother for the first time since I was four. It should've been a REAL happy day, right?

Wrong! It was one of the worst days of my life. My mother, my own mother had Pop and herself commit seppuku because of me. Because I'm not a man amongst men.

My mother was so disgraced by my sight, she killed herself.

Why? Why? Why?

I start crying. Real damn manly of me, huh? Like I care anymore. Despite Akane's arguments that I'm a man, I don't think so. Who am I to disagree with my mother?

I feel Akane's arms wrap around me tighter. I guess I woke her with my crying, since she's emitting those strangely soothing sounds a mother makes for her baby. I'd be insulted if I felt like a man. But seeing as I don't, I'm not.

I want to believe Akane. I want to believe I'm a man. I want to prove I'm a man.

I stop sucking on her breast and move to kiss her passionately. At the same time I place my hand at her other lips. I will prove I'm a man. I will make Akane scream with ecstasy.

I'm startled when Akane breaks the kiss. "Ranma, I would like to continue this... but it's too early in the morning. We'd wake the others."

"But... Akane..." I want to come up with a reason to continue. I almost don't even care to give one and continue anyway. If it was just Nabiki, I wouldn't give a damn. But Mr. Tendo is kinda all I have left of Pop besides martial arts. And, well, I'd sooner kiss Kuno than wake Kasumi. "Okay, later."

I glance at the clock, 5:30. Damn. At least Kasumi should be up, but Mr. Tendo won't be up for an hour. I hope he gets up soon.

Neither of us say anything. We just lay in bed gazing into each other's eyes.

It's rather weird how I can sometimes tell what she's thinking. I know she can tell what I'm thinking at times too. Not too long ago I had no clue what went on behind her beautiful brown eyes.

She smiles like she just heard me say that.

I live for moments like this. Just me and her in our own little world. Nothing matters but us. I'd be dead now if I didn't have moments like this, if I didn't have Akane with me.

As corny as it sounds, Akane is my life.

The moment is shattered by our alarm clock. I kill it.

Akane giggles a little at what I did. "Now we'll have to get another one," she says in mock anger. A lot better than the real thing. She now smiles seductively. "It's later..." She didn't need to say more. The alarm clock was set for 6:30.

We start to make mad, passionate love. Being a super-powered martial artist and having a girl's body is REALLY good for this. I know how to pleasure her in soooo many ways. Making a girl scream in ecstasy is the sign of being great in bed, and I can make Akane scream in orgasmic fits several times in a row. I doubt many men could claim that.

Then I'm not really a man, am I? I'm only that good because I turn into a girl.

Don't think about that, think about how to pleasure her, how to make her cum.

I smile at her after our passion climaxes. I'm so good at this, she needs to recover more than I do.

I sigh. I'd like to continue to make love with her... but as stupid as it sounds, I want to go back to school. I'm not entirely sure why. Probably because it's not here. I won't be in this house and have to see things that remind me of Pop. Biggest problem is, this is my house now. Akane and I own it, so I'm never going to leave here and I'll always see things that remind me of him. "Hmm... that was great..." I kiss Akane on the forehead. "Time for us to get up now." I sigh. "We need to get ready for school."

Akane stares at me in shock.

"What?" I ask.

"You want to get ready for school?" she asks, disbelievingly.

"Akane, I don't want to be cooped up in here... so I might as well go to school."

"Um, okay," she reluctantly agrees.

We both get lightly dressed, go downstairs and take a quick bath. Once out of the bath, we sit down to breakfast.

Nabiki is muttering something about not needing a snooze bar.

Mr. Tendo is yammering about how Pop would be proud of me and how Akane's mother would be proud of her.

Akane and I don't say anything. There isn't anything for us to say.

We finish eating, and it's time to leave. Nabiki is already rushing off to school.

This will be the first time I'll be at school since... I got married. The rumor horde will be trouble. I'd rather not deal with them. Then again, it's something I'm used to dealing with.

"We don't have to go to school. Um, we could..." Akane says, concerned. She's trying to think of something to suggest.

"Akane, I can't stay home, and I'll eventually have to go back to school. I might as well face it now."

"You sure?"

I nod, even though I'm not really sure. I have to face the world at some point. I can't just stay here and hide.

I feel her take my hand. She gives me a quick kiss, and we walk off to school.

It looks to be a great day. The sun is shining. I'm holding the hand of my wife and love. I want to remember this.

*Splash*

Great, a truck just had to hit the only puddle in Nerima, which of course was next to me. I didn't even make it to the old lady that waters the sidewalk.

I try to pull my hand from Akane's. It wouldn't do to have her walk around holding a girl's hand like this.

"Ranma, what's wrong?" she asks me, refusing to let go of my hand.

"I'm a girl now. We shouldn't be holding hands if we're both girls."

Akane shakes her head. "And just who in Nerima doesn't know you're really a guy? By now everyone probably knows we're married. So, there is no problem with me holding your hand even if you look like that. Besides, it isn't strange for two girls to hold hands." She gives my hand a loving squeeze.

I try to come up with a reason, any reason, to retort Akane, and fail.

We continue to walk towards school. I don't make a move to walk on the fence. Even if I tried, Akane would probably think of something to keep holding my hand. I think she needs to hold my hand, like if she lets go, she'll lose me.

I wish her fears didn't have some basis. I know I tried to kill myself in various ways. I think I'm better now. I haven't really tried since Kuno apologized to us. Somehow him calling me a man meant something to me. I guess it's because he's been claiming that I wasn't one since I got here. That if he could see me as a man now, maybe I am a man.

As we approach the school I see Nabiki and Kuno standing at the gate.

Kuno bowed to us and said, "I, Kuno Tatewaki, the Silver Wolf of Furinkan High, welcome you."

I hear several murmurs about his new name.

"Silver wolf? Grayish brown is more like it," I quip.

"Perhaps to your eyes, but to mine I am silver in color. Besides, grayish brown wolf doesn't have the same flare to it."

"Whatever. If you don't mind, I'd like to get some hot water before class."

"Of course, Tendo Ranma," Kuno said with a bow. I see most of the school that had listened in fall from shock when they hear that.

I smirk, walking past them into the school. A quick stop at the janitors' room and I'm a guy again.

Akane and I go to our seats. I can tell she wants to sit by me. Even though the desk next to me is empty, you have to sit in your assigned seat. That is unless you want to stand outside of class holding water buckets.

After the bell rings, the teacher reads off attendance.

"Ryugen Hitomi." ... "Here."

I prepare to respond to my name.

"Takahashi Rumiko." ... "Here."

Except my name isn't called.

"Tendo Akane." ... "Here."

There is no more Saotome Ranma.

"Tendo Ranma."

"Here," I reply, for now this is my name, since Saotome Ranma is, for all intents and purposes, dead. On the day I married Akane, I was reborn Tendo Ranma. I am no longer who I was, and I no longer know who I am.

The teacher finishes attendance when someone knocks at the classroom door.

I blink when Shampoo enters wearing a Furinkan school uniform. She hands the teacher a note.

The teacher says, "It appears we have a new student. Some of you may already know Shan Pu. Why don't you tell the class a little about yourself?"

Shampoo nods. "Nihao! My name is Shan Pu, but Shampoo is fine. I is from China and is now living here. I is skilled martial artist, and only ever lost to Ranma."

I'm not sure I like this. I know Akane doesn't like this. The main problem is I'm sitting next to the only empty desk.

Shampoo whispers something to the teacher, and he nods.

"Akane, you are to sit next to Ranma now, and Shampoo, you can take Akane's seat," the teacher said.

I can see Akane visibly relax. She quickly gets her stuff and moves to the seat next to me. She is quite happy with this.

The teacher starts to drone on about whatever subject this class is about. From the corner of my eye, I see Akane search for something. Wordlessly, I hand her my pencil. She smiles her thanks, and starts taking notes.

I quickly regret coming to school. There is as much to do here as there is at home. Nothing. I'm alone with thoughts I desperately want to avoid thinking about.

Thoughts of who I was run through my mind. I was Saotome Ranma, and he was to be the greatest martial artist to ever live and a man amongst men. What I am now is Tendo Ranma. But am I a man, something less, or something more? I don't know, but I want to know. I need to know.

I can't wait for gym class. At least then I'm doing something.

* * *

Damn, gym ended. I hear the other students cheer. Guess they didn't like playing dodge ball as much as I did.

I walk into locker room, and start changing.

"Hey, Ranma, are you and Akane REALLY married?" one guy asks.

"Yes, we're REALLY married," I answer.

"So you've had sex with Akane?" another guy asks.

I nod.

"Is Akane as violent in bed as she is in a fight?" the guy presses.

"Not really," I reply. She's not violent while making love, just while she's asleep.

"Is she any good?" the first one asks.

"I guess so."

"Well, is she better than any other girl you've done?" a third guy asks.

I glare at that guy. "I've only had sex with Akane."

"You mean you haven't tried out your other fiancees first?" some guy asks.

"That you haven't gone and done some chick on a training trip?" another guy questions.

"Yes!" I snarl.

The guys share confused looks. "With ALL those girls after you, you only made love to Akane?"

"Yes. Is that so hard to believe that I wanted to save myself for marriage?!"

Some of them answer me with, "Yes."

"Well, believe it."

"Have you done it girl to girl with Akane yet?" Hiroshi asks.

"What?!" I yell.

Hiroshi shrugs. "You know, have you had sex with Akane while you were a girl too?"

"NO!" I don't know if they ask me anymore questions or not. I quickly finish getting dressed and leave the locker room.

Those perverted idiots! Of course they expect the 'manly Saotome Ranma' to have had sex with several women, to go out and test the waters. That with someone like Shampoo chasing after me, I'd let her 'catch me.' It's not like I couldn't have done it with more girls, I just didn't want to. But they probably think I'm not much of a man because I haven't scored more women.

I want to be a man. I have to be a man.

It's a good thing lunch is after gym. I look over at the girl's locker room. I hope Akane gets out soon.

Hmm... I rush off to our class, and grab our lunches. I'm back with plenty of time to spare.

Hurry up, Akane.

Finally! "Yo! Akane, got our lunches. Thought we could find someplace to eat that's quiet."

"Sure." Akane smiles at me. Damn, I love that smile.

I lead her off towards the sports locker outside of school. I take a quick look to make sure no one has seen us. I shut and lock the sports locker room door. Then I toss our lunches to the side.

Akane is a little surprised by this. "Ranmmmmm..." She can't say anything more seeing as I'm kissing her.

Akane relaxes. She wraps her arms around me and kisses me back. I raise my leg so it rubs her between her thighs.

My wife breaks our kiss, moving her mouth to my ear. "Ranma, what are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" I ask.

Akane frowns. "It looks like you want to have sex with me."

"You're right." I lick her ear lobe.

"We can't do this here," she says, but I can tell she wants to do it too.

"Why not?"

"What if someone finds out?" she points out.

"What are they going to do? Tell your father? Akane, we're married, so there's not a whole lot they could do to us, right?"

She pouts. "Well, they could give us detention, suspend us, or have us do menial work."

"It'd be worth it." Akane shudders slightly as I continue to lick her ear, fondle her ass, and rub against her sex.

After a second, Akane says, "I hope no one takes a picture of us." She pulls out the knot in my pant's draw string. I knew she wanted to do it.

I push Akane against the wall, in the corner that's out of sight of the windows. I pull Akane's dress up and remove her panties. I play with her a little to make sure she's ready.

Akane pulls my pants down. I lift her up by my hips and hold her against the wall with my hands. She gasps and moans in appreciation as I take here.

I can feel her coming close to orgasm. I kiss her, hoping to drown out the sounds she'll make.

Akane shakes against me as she gives into her passion. I cum into her as well. That sent her farther into pleasure as her mouth rips from our kiss and screams out.

I hope no one heard... but if they did they know I'm good.

We hold onto to each other, panting. After we gain our breath, we put our clothes back where they belong. We then sit down to eat lunch.

The door opens and one of the teachers glares at us. "Good, you're wearing clothes now."

I gulp. Busted.

"I know you two are married, but school is NOT the place to do that kind of stuff. I catch you again and I will drag your naked asses in front of Principal Kuno. He'll just LOVE to be able to inflict some sadistic punishment on you, and he'll have every right to do it too." The teacher turns and walks a way.

Akane's face is REALLY red.

There are several students gathered outside the door.

"What are you looking at?" I shout at them.

They move out of my sight, but I know they're still around.

"Tendo, I wonder what you wished to accomplish by such an act as you've just committed," Kuno says as he appears at the door.

"I wasn't really trying to accomplish anything."

"Perhaps you were trying to prove to us what we already know, that you are truly a man. It saddens me to hear that your mother failed to see that because of the curse you bear. It is her error of judgment that is at fault, and not your manliness. If you aren't a man, then I shall never be one either." Kuno thumps his chest.

"Who says we're men?" I splash Kuno with my drink.

Kuno transforms and growls at me. 'Perhaps you should read of stories that tells of deeds...' He flips the sign. '...of men amongst men that were not wholly men to begin with.' He flips it again. 'It was not there body that made them men. It was their spirit!'

"I doubt we can truly be men now. A man shouldn't know as much about women as I do, and a man shouldn't know what's it like to be a beast either."

Kuno flinches at my words.

"Ranma, will you please stop that!" Akane shouts at me. "Why can't you accept that you're a man? Kuno, Ryoga and Mousse believe that they're men and they're cursed. Shampoo is a woman and she's cursed."

"Oh, and how much of a man do you think your precious P-Chan is?"

Akane scowls. "He's a man. A rather perverted, dishonorable one, but a man none-the-less."

"How can I be a man if I have woman's body?"

"Because you've got a spirit of a man. Your mother didn't bother to find out if you're a man, but we know you and think you are. Just because she was your mother doesn't make her right about judging you. _I_ should have more say if you're a man since we're married, and I say you are a man. Got it?" she yells at me in the harshest voice she has used in a week.

"Yeah, yeah." I wish I could believe that, but it's hard to believe that when it's MY time of the month.

The wolf raises a sign, 'I shall lend you books of heroic, manly tales of men who were not wholly human.'

"Thanks, Kuno-sempai," Akane says.

I shrug seeing as I probably won't read them.

Kuno nods and then uses his sign to scoop up his clothes and walks off.

* * *

Oh, joy. Chinese history. At least Shampoo shouldn't be behind in this class.

The teacher began. "Today's topic is Chinese religion, or more specifically the concepts of Taoist view of the cosmos. In their view, there are two main aspects: First is Yin and Yang. The second is the five elements. Can anyone tell me about the concepts of Yin and Yang."

Shampoo gives the teacher a blank look? Shouldn't she know about this stuff?

"Akemi," the teacher calls.

"Yin and Yang is the representation of opposition in constant struggle and change. Whenever there is one thing, the opposite is also present. Yang represents things like light, hard, dry, or generally things man considers to be more preferable, and it also represents men. It is also considered to be usually the dominate of the two forces. Yin represents the dark, soft, wet, or things that can be less desirable than its opposite, and it also represents women.

Shampoo raises her hand. "Why women associated with Yin? If Yang is considered more desirable, then women should be Yang."

The teacher represses himself from laughing. "The concepts were made in a male dominate society, so of course they considered being a man to be preferable to being a woman. They considered that a man is always in charge, even in marriage. I can tell you this, in most marriages, the wife is Yang. She controls her husband. I know it's that way for me."

I shake my head, and hang it in defeat. He is right about that. While I have some control, Akane can easily take that from me. At least that is normal for men.

This brings a giggling fit in all the girls save Akane. She's trying hard not to join them.

Most of the guys moan in disgust or like they were in pain, especially the ones that look at me.

"One of the points of Yin and Yang is that opposites do not contradict, but complete the picture." The teacher picks up a half empty glass of water. "Take this glass for example, it has two main yin and yang factors considering its contents. It is half full, yang, and half empty, yin. It also has water in it, which is wet, yin, and has air, which is dry, yang. This shows of opposition in current balance. Eventually, the glass will be full of dry air, a statement of yang, It can also be said to be empty of water, a statement of yin. Either way, the message is conveyed by showing the opposite we complete the picture, not contradict or detract from it." The teacher set down the glass.

"The concepts also plays into the roles of men and women. This is obviously harder to define and approach. No matter how manly the man is or how womanly the woman is, there is always a bit of woman in the man and man in the woman. Cooking is seen as a womanly trait, but how many of you guys can cook? Fighting is considered manly, but how many of you girls have been in real fights?"

"Fighting is fit for women not men," Shampoo interrupted.

The teacher continues, "Perhaps in your culture, but not in Japan. Anyway, in everyone of us, there are definite parts of our personality that is considered to be more acceptable as to belonging to the opposite sex. Also, as standards of behavior change, the concepts as to what men and women are changes. A woman going out and getting a job was practically unheard of just ten years ago, girls were to be demure, faithful housewives, but today I would not have a hard time believing that half of you girls have some type of career."

Akane faithful, of course, but demure, not a chance... and I don't think I'd love her if she was.

"Being a woman with a career, can be seen as a woman trying to be a man. That concept is being eroded to the point where it is considered neutral, belonging to either sex with out preference. There are other parts of a persons personality that can be considered neutral.

"The fact that the concepts of what a man is and what a woman is change, also shows concepts of Yin and Yang. The forces change constantly, as well as being in opposition," the teacher finishes.

What is considered manly changes? If I'm not considered manly now, maybe I would've been a hundred years ago or maybe sometime in the future. Now what about this neutral part he talked about.

"If what is manly changes and with that neutral stuff, could someone end up being more manly and more womanly... ah, you know, since they sorta overlap, being more than whole?" I ask.

Akane fidgets in her seat.

The teacher shrugs. "You mean being more the sum of the parts? Yes, that is a possibility. Someone's personality could be considered better that half female and half male."

"If that's the case could someone be a man amongst men and a damn fine woman?"

The teacher shifts uneasily. "Um, I guess it might be possible. From what I know of Ukyou, it is hard to deny her femininity, but she can also be considered rather manly."

The teacher moves to discussing the five elements, and I lose interest. Yin and Yang, opposition and change, part of the same picture that complete it, sum can be greater than the parts. Is it possible I am manly and womanly?

* * *

I walk around my house. I can't seem to get that Yin and Yang stuff out of my head. Is it possible I can be truly be a man amongst man and be part woman as well?

"What are you straining your brain over, Ranma-chan?" the old fart asks.

"Yin and Yang."

The old lech let's out a small chuckle. "Oh, just thinking about yourself then."

"What do you mean by that?"

Happosai smirks. "You are Yin and Yang in many ways."

"Why do you think that?"

"Well, let's see, beyond the fact you're both male and female. Akane loves you more than life, but there were times she said 'I hate you' and meant it. You're Ryoga's best friend despite the fact he hates your guts. Ukyou loves you dearly, but at times she'd like nothing better than dice you into little bits. Odd that you can get people to love and hate you.

The old fart smirks. "Do you think you're honorable?"

"I am honorable!"

The old freaks starts laughing. "You may think so, some people may believe that you are, but there is no way that you ever could be. You have taken things which do not belong to you..."

"Those underwear don't belong to you. I was only stopping you."

The lech hits me on the head. "I was talking about the countless times you must have stolen food while on your training trip with your father. Stealing, no matter what the reason is, is stealing. What about Ukyou, weren't you bound to marry her? Didn't you also have some obligation to marry Shampoo? I'm sure cheating to win a fight is oh so honorable as well. Honestly, Ranma, as a martial artist I have more honor than you. That doesn't mean I give a rats ass about it off the field of combat. There in lies the point for you, you are considered by many honorable, but in reality you have none. For me it's the opposite, I'm seen as without honor, but I'm more honorable than you."

"There ain't no way you're more honorable than me!"

"Believe what you wish, it doesn't change the truth. Now Ranma-chan, are you kind?" the freak asks.

"Yep."

"At times, especially to Akane, but you are also a first class jerk, thinking of himself first and others second." The lech shakes his head. "When you're a guy, you're a man amongst men, but when you're a girl you are beyond cute. It goes farther than just your personality. How much do you know about astrology?"

"Not much."

"You were born just before sunrise, April 1st, 1976, right?" he questions.

"Yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?"

Happosai wags a finger at me. "Well, the time someone is born can help determine their fate. At the time of birth, one of four elements should be dominate or they should be balanced. You, however, were born with both water and fire being dominate, opposing elements. I can go on about this for a long time, it is hard to find something about you that the opposite isn't also present in nearly the same amount."

"I think I understand." A man amongst men and a woman both, and not neither. I didn't think that was possible, but others believe it can be.

"Oh, Ranma-chan?" the freak calls.

"What?"

The old lech shoves an onion into my eye. I attack the freak. After a minute, he leaps away from me, shoving a stopper on a glass beaker. "Thanks for your tears! Don't worry. I need them for something. It won't hurt you or Akane-chan."

"If you do anything to hurt her, and I'll kill you slowly and painfully."

The freak just laughs as he runs away.

I sit down on a rock by the pond. I am a man and a woman. But, can I still be a man amongst men though? Am I truly without honor, despite being seen as honorable by many? I know I'm a jerk at times and that I can be kind. I am loved and hated by the same people.

* * *

Author's Notes:

Ranma's birthday was never stated in the series, but using reverse astronomy taking Ranma's personality as a reference I've plotted the date, April 1st 1976 just before sunrise, as good possibility of when Ranma was born. (Akane almost a exactly a week later on April 8th).


	10. Yin

**Rejected**

**Part 10 - Second Monday - Yin**

_By Lord Archive_

This is darker than any canon Ranma 1/2 story. If you want Takahashi styled humor, you will not find it here.

This is a complete ten-part series and will be posted in full, plus a bonus extra chapter.

Ranma 1/2 characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi and Shogakukan and are used without permission.

* * *

I quickly get dressed for gym. I want to be with Ranma, make sure he's all right. While we'll be doing different things during gym, I can still keep an eye on him.

"Yuka, we need to have a little talk with the newlywed." I hear Sayuri say in a tone that doesn't fit her. I'm not going to like this.

"Hello, Akane. So, Ranma is an arrogant jerk that you'd never marry?" Sayuri sneers.

I know I'm NOT going to like this. "Sorry..." I can't even find the courage to look them in the eye.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Sayuri demands.

"I... I've been busy." "I'm sure you were busy, seeing as you were on your honeymoon," Yuka insinuates.

The locker room is suddenly so quiet, you could hear a pin drop.

I nod. It's the truth.

"All right Akane, why the change of heart?" Sayuri asks, ignoring that everyone is listening in on us.

I closes her eyes. "Um... Ranma's mother stopped by to see him before I got back from our slumber party. When she found out about the curse, she felt she needed to make sure he was a man. She was going to take him away and make him a man in her eyes. There was a good chance that I'd never get to see him again. The only way he could stay is if he was married."

I look at them, trying to keep myself from crying. "I realized something then. I didn't hate Ranma. I love him. What I hated was being forced into the engagement, and I had taken it out on him. So when I was finally given a choice about the engagement, marry him or never see him again, I chose to marry him."

I start crying anyway. "It was a good thing too. When his parents left, they died. What little hope of him returning would've been lost because he would be dead too."

"Is about time Akane realize that. Hoped Akane no figure it out until after I marry Ranma," Shampoo comments.

Oh, no. Not her. "Hi, Shampoo..."

"Now Akane, I curious... how Ranma in bed?" Shampoo demands.

"Um, ah." I back away from her. "I don't want to talk about THAT here!"

"Why not? Akane has great husband! Akane should gloat and tell how good Ranma is," Shampoo insists.

I can't believe she wants to hear that. "I mean, ah..." Damn, who put that wall there.

"Come on, Akane. Why no kiss and tell?"

Shampoo is still pressing me to answer and I have nowhere to run. "This is NOT the place to talk about it!"

"You owe this to Shampoo for marrying Ranma," Shampoo demands, her face inches from mine.

"Fine!" I shout angrily. "You really want to know how good he is? He's great! He's as good in bed as he is a fighter. I can't believe how well he can pleasure me. He makes me orgasm several times, every time! He's even gotten me to scream out in passion before all my clothes were off!"

"How good is Akane?" Shampoo didn't get phased by that?! She expected him to be that good?!

"Pretty good, and I'm still learning," I answer truthfully.

"Akane use protection?" Shampoo asks as she steps away from me.

P-p-protection?! Oh, gods! I haven't used any at all! "Ah... no." What if I get pregnant?

"Akane want to get pregnant?" Shampoo smirks.

I look at the floor. Pregnant... to have Ranma's child. The child of the man I love. Why... Why doesn't that fill me with dread now? I'm sixteen years old, I shouldn't have to think about being pregnant... or being married. But I am married and it is only natural that for a married couple to have children. If I get pregnant Ranma would have proof that he's a man... I would be the mother of Ranma's child...

I look up at her, and nod slightly, and answer, "Yes."

Shampoo smiles?! What is wrong with this girl?

"All right girls! Everyone to the field!" The gym coach yells from the door.

Fortunately Shampoo leaves taking most of the other girls with her. I try recuperate a moment before joining my class.

I hear someone crying. I look at the section that's on the other side of my locker and see Ukyou sitting there. I wish I knew how to help her. She's my friend, even though we were rivals. I want to help her but anything I would say would only hurt her more so I leave her behind.

* * *

Finally school ends, and Ranma and I leave for home. I shake my head, hearing people talk about Ranma and me as we move through the hall. I wish they would mind their own business. So what if I'm sixteen and married? They shouldn't be so noisy!

"Are they really married?" "Shampoo believes they are and you've seen how Ukyou's been mopping around for the past week." "Do you know if they done it yet?" "Yeah, Ranma said they did and that Akane wasn't violent in bed." Ack! I want to hurt him. "Akane even said she wanted to get pregnant." Shit, I hope Ranma didn't hear that.

I glance up at Ranma, and he is rather pale. He isn't saying anything, but I know he heard them.

What am I going to say to him? I want to get pregnant to prove he's a man isn't a reason I can tell him. Because I love him is a good reason, but probably not enough.

"Akane?" Ranma asks, after we're a couple blocks from school.

"Ah, yes?"

"Um, did you, ah, do you want to, ah?" Ranma stammers his question.

I sigh. "You want to know if I want to get pregnant?"

"Y-yeah," he stammers.

"Um, yes."

Ranma looks at me like I've been possessed or something. "You want to get pregnant?!"

I nod. "Well, we are married, and it's only natural for a married couple to have kids."

"But, Akane, we're still in high school! Aren't we a bit young for this?" he protests.

"Maybe a little. But I don't see too much of a problem with it. Sure, I'd have to take some time away from school, and it'd increase our responsibilities. Then again, we would be starting our family. I would be the mother of your child."

"I don't think it'd be a good idea. I mean, I don't think I could be a good father. I'm not always a guy. My only parenting role models are my dad, yours, and Kasumi. Of the three, I only consider Kasumi as having done a good job," Ranma points out.

"I like to think my dad did a good job. Sure he could have done a lot of things better, but he could be worse."

He looks away. "Like my father."

"Well, he could've done a lot of things better, but he didn't do that badly for trying to raise you on his own. We won't let that happen with our children. Even if... something happens to one of us, we still have my family to help care for them. Besides we know where they went wrong and can avoid that."

Ranma lets out a short sarcastic laugh. "Like no forced engagements."

I giggle. Good he's joking. "Avoid forcing them to do anything they don't want to do."

Ranma nods once. "I still don't think we should."

"There might not be a choice. I might already be pregnant, seeing as we haven't used protection even once."

Ranma is now rather pale.

I bite my lower lip. "Ranma, I don't want to avoid becoming pregnant, but I won't actively try to either. If I become pregnant, so be it."

"Akane, are you sure? I mean we're just finishing this school year. You'd be a mother while being a junior in high school," Ranma presses.

"Yes, I'm sure." It's a bit frightening how sure of that I am.

* * *

Ugh. Finally finished this homework.

Today's been a long day. Ranma did better than I thought he would though. The only real problem was that he just had to have sex with me at lunch. I should have expected that and planned against it. It was after gym and someone had to have made a comment that could hit at his manhood.

Sigh. I could've done a better job preventing it. I think I didn't really want to prevent it. It was even more exciting with the fear of discovery.

Maybe I should have let Ranma have his way with me when he snuck into my room before. If it felt that good when there wasn't that much on the line, I bet it would've been even better since our future was at stake then. Sigh. I know now he sneaked in to protect me from Ryoga, but if I hadn't gotten upset who knows what would've happened.

I hope Ranma wants to join me in bed soon.

I giggle a little. Right on cue. Ranma enters our room with a glass of water.

"Akane?" Ranma asks. He sounds a bit nervous.

"Yes," I reply, a bit more seductively than I wanted.

"Um... How do I say this?" Ranma says, confusion clearly shaking his voice. He sighs. "I want you to hear me out first before you say anything, okay?"

I nod even though I'm scared now. Really scared. What is he going to say? Please gods, don't let it be about not being a man or committing suicide.

"Akane... I... well... have come to a decision. I-I'm not just a man... but I'm a woman as well." I want to interrupt him... but he did ask to hear him out.

He looks at the waters he's holding. "This doesn't mean I can't be a man amongst men... it just means I can be a damn fine woman too. I used to think these were two different things, but they don't have to be."

He's now looking me in the eyes with some determination, but I still see confusion and fear as well. "I am yin and yang. Opposition given form. I am both male and female. There are people who consider me both a friend and a enemy. There are people who love and hate me. I can be kind and be a jerk. I am honorable and honorless. And I am your husband and your wife."

Ranma dumps the water over himself. "Akane..." The nervousness, fear and confusion return in full force. "Do you accept me like this? You have accepted me as your husband... but do you also accept all of me? I'm also a girl, so for me to truly be your spouse... I ask that you consider that I'm your wife too... in every sense of the word."

Ranma as my... wife? But he's a guy... most of the time. He-he might never be cured. I do love him.

BUT I'M A GIRL! I would be a pervert to do THAT! It... it's just perverted!

This is Ranma. As a guy and as a girl, Ranma is Ranma. He is my husband. Would it be so bad to think of him as my wife as well?

What about what other people will think? Shampoo's taunt of pervert girl would be true then. Other people would think that I'm a pervert too.

Should I even give a damn what other people think? They haven't exactly been kind to me before. They probably think we've already done it THAT way.

"Akane..." Ranma's shaking voice snaps me out of my thoughts. "I-I understand if you don't want to accept me... this way. I-I won't kill myself or nothin'... It's just, this is part of who I am."

I get up, walk over to him, and kiss him.

I don't think words could really convey the answer he wants. Action speaks louder than words, but it's nice to say them anyway. Breaking the kiss, I say, "Of course I do. I love you. You are my man. If that means you're my woman as well, that's fine with me."

"What if I ever get stuck like this?" Ranma asks.

"I don't care as long as you're with me." Do I care? Yes... but I'm not sure I want to know how much... or how little I care.

I close my eyes for a second, clear my thoughts, and kiss him. I add more passion into the kiss while I drag him to our bed.

I'm actually going to have sex with a girl?! No it's Ranma, he's a guy... Don't think about it. I don't think my sanity could take it if I start thinking of him as both. I may start treating him as my wife in some ways, but Ranma is still a guy.

I sit down on the bed and pull him down with me. Erm... That didn't exactly work right, we're both girls. Oh well, try not to let it stop you.

I can feel my hands shake as I start to unbutton her... HIS shirt. I don't care if he has breasts bigger than mine, Ranma is a guy!

I pull off his shirt and tentatively place my hand onto his chest. Ranma stiffens for a moment, but then relaxes as my nervous hands plays with his nipples. His tits quickly stiffen under my care. Good, I'm turning him on...

I'm getting turned on too! I-I shouldn't be. I'm making love to a girl. But the girl is Ranma, and he can make me scream in ecstasy before my clothes are off.

Ranma breaks off our kiss to take my shirt off me. He then takes my bra off me as well. We both start playing with each other's chest.

His touch causes me to moan. He moans too, but with less intensity. "Ranma, how come you're better at this?"

"Well, you're nervous and... you know how I liked to take long baths..." Ranma's face is the same color as his hair.

"You pervert! You couldn't keep your hands off yourself." Before we got married I would have pounded him into paste, but now I'm giggling.

"You can't keep your hands off me either." Ranma sticks his tongue out at me.

"You got that right." For emphasis I quickly pull out the knot in the draw string his pants and slide my hand under both his pants and boxers.

I shudder a little as I touch the part of him guys don't have. Tendo Akane, you are officially a pervert and bi-sexual.

I close my eyes and slowly run my finger over him. This is Ranma, this is Ranma, this is... not that bad.

Oh gods, I'm actually enjoying this. Is that a bad thing? There is so much more we can do if we don't limit ourselves to doing it... the normal way.

I'm really enjoying myself and I'm doing most the work. I never thought I could get this wet over a girl, but I am.

Ranma pulls down his pants and boxers. I don't stop playing with him even as he steps out of his remaining clothes.

I stop what I'm doing and Ranma whimpers in protest. I guide him to lay down on our bed. I quickly remove my pants and panties before joining him.

Resting to the side of him, close enough for our bare chests to press together. I start kissing him again and my hand returns to his body. His hand begins to caress mine as well. I gasp, feeling his small fingers penetrate me.

After playing him for a nice long time, I'm finally rewarded with him crying out, "Akaaaneeeee!" His body shakes as he orgasms.

Sensations well up in me as his body shudders against mine. My tits are being ground by his.

Despite orgasming, Ranma's hand hasn't left me. His fingers are vibrating. Before I have a chance to fight it, I orgasm too. I scream out in passion.

Both of our bodies convulse as euphoria engulfs us. We shiver and shake from the pure pleasure we brought to each other.

The feelings generated soon subside and we lay there, panting.

We stare into each others eyes.

Ranma kisses me passionately, and fondles my breast. "Want to go again?"

"Mmm Hmm." I nod.

"Lie on your back." Ranma commands, and I obey.

It's not long before our passions climax. Ranma completely loses it to the pleasure and passes out.

I just lay there for a while with Ranma asleep on top of me. I like the way he feels resting on top of me.

I sigh. It won't be comfortable if we stay like this too long. I carefully move Ranma off of me and place him under the blankets. I lay down next to him. Even though he's still asleep, he snuggles closer to me.

Ranma, the worst is over. You've accepted who you are, but not I'm not sure who I am. I thought I was straight, but I just made love to a girl and enjoyed it as much as if you were a man. Does this mean I'm bi-sexual? Have I always liked girls this way? I don't know. It doesn't matter though. Guy or girl, you're the man I love.

You might not be completely over this, but I'm no longer scared that you're going to leave me. We can move on with our life together now. It won't be easy, but then nothing with you ever is.

* * *

Author's Notes:

And so ends Rejected. One of my few complete series. While Rejected, itself, is complete, there is an eleventh chapter that was meant to be a start of a new series, but it died the death of 'first chapter plot idea' and never went anywhere. I will be posting the chapter with this series.

-While Amazon's may not be big on contraceptives, Shampoo has been in Japan long enough to know about them and expected Akane might have used them. Shampoo was 'happy' with Akane's answer about not using them because it meant that she was being a good wife to Ranma.

-Ranma's thoughts on Akane wanting to get pregnant when talking to her about it:  
*Akane wants it  
*He'd have final proof he is a man  
*Akane won't ask him to use a condom  
*They may be young, but he doesn't have any future plans save running the dojo.

Thanks to everyone who has given me C&C for this series.


	11. Wandering Spirit

**Rejected**

**Bonus chapter: Wandering Spirit**

_By: Lord Archive_

This is darker than any canon Ranma 1/2 story. If you want Takahashi styled humor, you will not find it here.

This is a bonus part of the series, and posted for those who want something to deal with Nodoka.

Ranma 1/2 characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi and Shogakukan and are used without permission.

* * *

Duty, honor, loyalty. Three concepts that I've devoted my life to. Concepts that allowed me to survive twelve years alone. Alone, waiting for my husband and my son to return.

I lived, I hoped, I dreamed. When my husband left with our son, he was to be raised as a manly child. Someone I could be proud of to call my son.

I knew there was a chance I might set my standards too high. I decided as long as there wasn't anything too feminine about him, I would consider oath fulfilled. The truth of the matter was not something I could tolerate. It violated the oath in a way I never dreamed.

I spent twelve years waiting to be reunited with my son. Twelve years! When I found him, he was a GIRL! Bosoms and all, he was a girl. He was not my son. He was my daughter.

Dear, how could you have made such a mistake? To fail so miserably? How?

How can my son be a man amongst men if he is also a girl?

What's this? I'm being pulled somewhere. Finally I get to see the life I might be born to or...

"Hello, Nodoka," Happosai greeted with an evil grin.

...my maker? "What the hell?"

"You have done something truly atrocious, my dear. You turned your son into a miserable wreck and suicidal. Made him marry Akane-chan. And all my successors for the true art of Anything Goes Martial Arts are no good. All of that thanks to you," Happosai sneers. "For what you've done, I've granted you eternal life... as a ghost. You will be able to see and hear everything, but will never be able to interfere."

I'm a ghost?! Impossible. It's a simple matter to prove. All I have to do is lift my kimono and look at... my... feet?! I DON'T HAVE LEGS!

I'm a... ghost. By all that is honorable... I'm a ghost.

"Seeing a ghost pale. A truly sickening thing," Happosai jokes, then his face takes on a malevolent look. "Now, you over-honored bitch, you are cursed with your new existence. And since you'll only be able to go to places where Ranma and Akane have visited at least a couple times, I can easily find you and watch you suffer."

"Why is that?" I asked.

"To curse you, I need certain things to cast the spell. The primary ingredient besides your blood, were tears from one who is part of your family, tears from the one who killed you, and tears from someone who curses your very existence. Ranma supplied the first two, and Akane the third. I'll let you think about your new life." That evil man leaves me alone in the Tendo dojo.

I stare out the dojo doors, trying to comprehend what just happened. I am a ghost now. The living dead. I will be able to see everything that happens and not be able to interfere. How can anyone be so evil as to do this? Why did he do this?

I do not know how long it's been, but I can't stay here forever.

Can I?

Sigh. Might as well as see Ranma. I hope Happosai was exaggerating about how Ranma was.

I walk to the house and into the kitchen. "Hello, Kasumi." She keeps humming. "Kasumi. Hello." Nothing. Why isn't she responding. I wave my hand in front of her face. "Kasumi?"

"Hmm... it seems a bit colder than usual today," Kasumi commented like she doesn't... know... I'm... here. She doesn't know.

Hopefully I'll find someone besides Happosai who can see me.

I look around the house for a little while and find Ranma's room. How do I get in the room if the door is closed? Maybe I can pass through the wall.

A door down the hall opens and Nabiki staggers out. "Hello, Nabiki?" I ask hopefully, but she doesn't respond in the slightest.

Ranma's door opens and SHE exits. What was Ranma doing in his room as a girl? And why is she so happy? "Mornin', Sis."

Nabiki blinks. "Er, good morning."

"Hurry up, Akane," Ranma calls.

"Give me a moment. Why don't you make sure the bath is ready," Akane replies.

"Okay." Ranma nods and skips down the stairs.

Akane exits the room, and Nabiki stares at her.

"Is it my imagination, or did you spend last night with Ranma while he was a girl?" Nabiki asks.

Akane sighs. "It's not your imagination. Ranma decided he is both yin and yang, he feels that he's both a man and a woman. Which means he wanted to be treated as my wife as well as my husband."

"So you two went at it, girl-to-girl?" Nabiki asks, dumbfounded.

Akane nods.

Ranma is no man! I run down to the bath finding Ranma there. I made a mistake letting him live. No man should ever force a girl to make love like that. I attack.

"Brrrr. What's with that cold breeze?" Ranma asks.

Damn it all to HELL! I can only make Ranma feel a little cold. She doesn't even know I'm here. There has to be something I can do.

I watch Ranma prepare the bath, and Akane enters the room.

"So, how's my perverted wife?" Ranma asks with a grin.

"You better not repeat that when someone can overhear you," Akane warns.

"Hphm. Like they didn't suspect that you like girls that way."

"That may be so, but I don't want them to know I'm bi-sexual." Huh? Ranma is bi-sexual, he changes genders after-all. "Do you have any idea that would happen if the girls in my gym class found out I might find them sexual attractive?"

Huh? Akane sees girls...

Ranma nods. "I can make some pretty good guesses. Considering what happened when I tried to sneak into the girls locker room."

Blink. Ranma did that?

Akane sighed. "Now, um, how often do you want to make love like we did last night?"

"Which form do you like better?" Ranma asks hesitantly.

Akane fidgets. "When you're a guy."

Ranma nods. "Yeah. I kind of prefer it that way myself. Why don't we just see how the mood takes us."

Akane nods. "And I'm in the mood for a man right now."

Ranma grins. "Of course."

"Oh, dear." I don't want to see this. I leave, but I can't escape the sounds they are making.

How can Akane be happy with Ranma? He is not a man. I'm not sure if he's even half a man.

"Like what you've seen?" Happosai sneers.

Nodoka clenches her fist. "I see I've made a mistake in allowing my husband's failure to continue."

"You shall find you have indeed made a great mistake, and I will watch as you realize the full horror of it." Happosai cackles evilly as he once again departs.

If Happosai thinks he can torment me, I shall haunt him until his final days. I may not be able to touch anything, but he can hear me. I wonder how he'll like it if I kept him awake at all times and generally annoy him to death.

* * *

Author's Notes:

I had debated continuing this as a full series. The issue, as with many ideas I've had, 'where do I go from here?' Retelling the manga with the differences caused by this series. The loss of Cologne forcing Ranma to turn to Happosai for answers. Kuno forging a relationship with Nabiki and becoming friends with Ranma. Ukyou eventually deciding to go home and start her life over as the girl she was meant to be.

Jusendo was the only spot I had done some planning. Kuno would be included in the team. And when Akane was to be kidnapped, she was noticeably pregnant, so Nabiki was taken as well and she was the one used to make a new spring at Jusenkyo. Cologne using Shampoo's involvement to defeat Saffron to get her back into the tribe.

Of course, throughout the series, Nodoka would increasingly realize that Ranma truly is a man amongst men. That the body really doesn't mean anything. Not to mention she would make Happosai's life hell. Eventually Ranma and a few others would inrcreasingly know of Nodoka's presence as she gains power as a spirit and they improve in the higher arts of martial arts.


End file.
